Geeli Mitti: Busting the Myths About Mud Houses

Why is mud construction sustainable then using cement? Why are mud houses more comfortable to live in? What are the advantages of mud over cement for building and construction? Shagun Singh, the founder of GeeliMitti farms and educational research center talks about the common myths that are associated with mud houses. Most believe that mud houses are not strong enough, it's expensive to build and maintain and not suited to regions which have high rainfall. 

Mud Bloomers

The beautiful and healthy lotus stems—you can find these stems being sold by roadside vendors, especially along roads that run by a river or a pond. The light brown or white, sausage-like tubular vegetable has holes in it. These are lotus stems and they are used widely in Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine. They are relished for their taste and nutritional value.

Known in Hindi as bhe or kamal kakri, the lotus stem contains hollow air channels that run the length of the stem. It is crunchy, sweet and tastes like water chestnut. It has a delicate flavour and is suitable for eating raw or cooked...