Rural wisdom
In the nearby villages kids are seen sleeping peacefully in their chanwra a round hutin the hot afternoon. The people in Jaithwai village have kuttcha houses with ceilings of kheenpa locally available bush. A mix of dung and mud makes the walls of the houses, and occasionally a few rocks; and the holes in the walls keep the huts less hot. Nand Kishore Sharma says these structures help free circulation of wind. According to S M Mohnot, desert plants resistant to insects and rot were used in the construction of huts and buildings, which strengthened the structures.
Mohnot says the people's health system is adaptive to working in the heat of the desert, thanks to the traditional lifestyle. Bajra is the chief cereal, which is resistant to heat and sunstroke, say experts. The people also use sweet melons, cucumbers and milk products; all help retain water in body and provide necessary minerals and vitamins.
Even the clothes people wear help repel the heat. According to Mohnot, people of all faiths wear turbans, and women cover their heads to ward off the hot air. The fabrics colours also help evade the heat. Sharma, however, says most of the traditional ways have changed. Synthetics have replaced the mulmuls and cottons of the past. Sita Devi, who cleans the Jain temples, sums it up aptly: "We just live with the heat. It's a matter of lifestyle."
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