The Wonderful Charpai
What Is A Charpai?
A charpai, quite simply, is a traditional coir bed that is used in the South Asian sub-continent. The word comes from two words — ‘char’, which means four, and ‘pai’, which denotes the foot. In fact, our word for ‘wheel’ is also derived from this. Most of the younger generation of urban Indians won’t be familiar with charpais, but we used to use them as kids. Often, they’d be stored in the back yard of our homes, and in the hot summer nights, we’d sleep under the stars.
Nowadays, you will find them in traditional middle-class homes in urban centres, in traditional markets, in traditional ‘dhabas’, and also in villages. A Dhaba is a highway restaurant, and we could get some absolutely fantastic food there. No toilets, so they are giving way to fancier restaurants, and faceless chains like McDonald's.
When I was doing some street photography in the Jama Masjid area of Delhi, a young Muslim chap invited me into his home. This is where I shot the photos of his charpai. He and I have become friends of sorts since then.
What’s So Special About Them?
A charpai is incredibly comfortable and very versatile. The firmness of the base is adjusted by pulling the coir ropes around the wooden frame.
It’s easy to move them from place to place, and they last a really long time.
Versatility
I took this image of men lounging about on a modernised version of a charpai, while on a solo road trip in the middle of India. I was muddy. My car was muddy, and when I stopped for chai at a Dhaba, I saw these men lounging on the charpai, gossiping and having chai. Time stood still.
So, let’s talk about a charpai. It’s best if I make a bulleted list.
Charpais are used to:
Sleep. This one is obvious
Lounge and gossip. As you can see the men doing above
Eat. This is when you sit cross-legged on a charpai, lay a wooden plank across it, and eat. The wooden plank becomes your table
To denote status. In villages, when the village head (mukhiya), or council of elders (a panchayat) meet, they sit on a charpai. The villagers squat on the ground. Further, when an upper-caste person meets someone from a lower caste, the lower caste person squats on the ground. It gives them that superior air and puts them on a level (physically as well!) higher than that of the poor sap sitting on the ground.
I am not a Brahmin, so when I was asked to sit with a villager on his charpai, I was told it was a great honour that was being bestowed upon me.
There You Go!
So that’s what it is about! Versatility. Tradition. From a sustainability perspective, they are fantastic, because you are using natural materials! Plus, there is no need for additional furniture! No chairs, tables. Mobility comes with the package.
Sometimes I wonder — what happens to our old traditions.
