There was a discussion on Saligao-Net [http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net] about why jaggery was used in old buildings in Goa. Below are some hints. Anyone would have a clue? (I hope JC will not charge me with promoting more stereotypes about the Goan*s*). -- FN
Frederick Noronha :: +91-9822122436 :: +91-832-2409490 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- On 27 November 2010 10:09, dilip dacruz <[email protected]> wrote: > > 1. I'm intrigued by the jaggery. Was it used as a glue? Or was it a form of > heat insulation? I understand Jaggery is sometimes used to line tandoors. FN: ... Google has some pointers... A farmer told me that after this application they also sprinkle some jaggery around the trees. Asked to explain the reason he said, "jaggery attracts large black ants (domle/katmuyo) which are natural enemies of termites. They kill and drag all termite workers to their nests". This is a part of Goa’s traditional biological control. But the hidden termites are perfect defenders of their nests and even snakes are scared to enter a live termite nest. So the termite conquests in Goa would continue. (Nandkumar Kamat) http://www.navhindtimes.in/panorama/climate-change-favours-voracious-termites Conventional wisdom of our ancestors advocated construcation of houses building, with materials available which are generic to the mother earth such as stones cut form granite formation or leterite crust or mud finely sieved mixed with lime, sand jaggery and the roofs were constructed slantingly with enjoinment of rafters reapers wall plates, beams with over burnt clay tiles layering and as the roof extended almost 2 1/2 feet away from the periphery of the walls thereby protecting wall from formation of moss in monsoon by flow of water. http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg00974.html Agreed, the answer is not very clear... but there's a hint of it here. FN
