The project aims to record the endangered craft skills and material culture underpinning construction of the chhot river boat—a wooden vessel of unique construction found on the Rupnarayan river, a tributary of the Hooghli river in West Bengal, India.
The chhot is a rarity in that its planking is joined using metal staples, a technique unknown elsewhere in India that echoes sewn-boat construction, while its keel-less construction echoes traditional watercraft in southeast Asia. The chhot-building tradition is threatened by dwindling demand for the vessel as a result of improved road infrastructure, rising wood costs, overfishing and new materials.
A natural mooring place at Dihimondolghat village, West Bengal, India (Photo: Swarup Bhattacharyya)
A motorised chhot at Dihimondolghat village: note the adornment and use of chemical colour. The natural bank of the Rupnarayan river is ideal for mooring and repairing boats. (Photo: Swarup Bhattacharyya)
A variety of chhot moored alongside fishing equipment in a creek near Dihimondolghat village. (Photo: Swarup Bhattacharyya)
The planking of the chhot is joined together with double-ended iron ‘staples’. Note the planking pattern: the hood ends do not converge on the stempost. (Photo: Swarup Bhattacharyya)
Chhot boats hauled out for repair near Dihimondolghat village. (Photo: Swarup Bhattacharyya)
Bamboo poles are an important tool in boatbuilding. Here the master boat builder is assisted by the boat owner’s family. (Photo: Swarup Bhattacharyya)
A master boat-builder repairs a chhot near Dihimondolghat village. (Photo: Swarup Bhattacharyya)
Natural-fibre ropes are used to hold planks in position during repairs. (Photo: Swarup Bhattacharyya)
Raw cotton is used to caulk a chhot near Dihimondolghat village. (Swarup Bhattacharyya)
Planking is sawn using a handsaw. Note the builders’ traditional attire while building. (Photo: Swarup Bhattacharyya)
PI:
John Peter Cooper
Collaborators:
Zeeshan Alli Shaikh
Location of Research:
Dihimandalghat village and surroundings, West Bengal, India
Host Institution:
Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies, University of Exeter
John P. Cooper Biography (Photo: Chiara Zazzaro)
Zeeshan A. Shaikh Biography (Photo: Hossam Elshebshery)
Top Banner Image: The oculus is common on chhot boats: to the fisherman, the chhot is not inanimate. (Photo: Swarup Bhattacharyya)
