Loktak Lake,
Manipur

Loktak Lake - the water bowl that feeds the state of Manipur was formed by mountains surrounding the region. Numerous masses of vegetation adorn the pulsating water body. The lake is an ever-changing landscape with floating organic masses that shift and drift with the winds and rains. These floating forms are called 'Phums' onto which the fisherfolk make their homes. The biomass of the Phum and Napi grass is seen as a landscape that bulges and swells to make up the land. As the mass constantly moves due to the pressure of water and wind, the structure of the house is rather a temporal one with bamboo members tied together forming a structural frame, tarpaulin as the wall, and GI sheet as a roof. This study focuses on understanding the relationship between natural factors (characteristics of the terrain, climatic factors, and flora/ fauna) and practices (built-form and its usage routine). The study also looks at the transformations & shifts in natural factors and connected practices through time.