From the archive record
Bamboo used for making houses by the Apatanis. Rice cultivation, supported by an intricate irrigation system from the small Ziro River is one of their unique practices. Even a single channel of water manages to irrigate dozens of stepped fields, separated by just a few vertical inches, allowing the water to irrigate one field and sequentially flow to a lower one, and in the process cover the entire swathe of cultivation. Also unique to the Apatanis are the simple and sturdy bamboo houses they live in. Ziro village comprises of rows of bamboo houses that together comprise perhaps the largest village in the world, and one where almost every house looks alike -- perhaps a subtle message in social levelling. Bamboo is a most versatile resource, and is greatly valued among the Apatani people.