PHEROL: BUILT TO LAST
Pherols have withstood the test of earthquakes for over 100 years. They are multi-storeyed structures and the main construction materials are wood and stone with mud mortar. Pherols were developed by a society that believed in a cooperative mode of living. Villagers would assist each other in the construction work. The sheer massiveness of these structures suggests that it is not the work of few individuals and that the construction spanned over a longish period of time. In the past three decades, skilled people have emigrated from the Garhwal hills, and new culture and lifestyle has come into the hills. Cement concrete is part and parcel of this, and pucca houses have become status symbols. Apart from pherol, there are other construction features in the hills, which fare well during a quake. A plus-shaped corner detailing is an example of adding strength to the building.