Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal at Tribal Habitat open air exhibition Different types of traditional house types of different states. In this regard, Museum Associate Shrikant Gupta told that the Rathwas are a culturally rich tribal community of India, mainly found in Gujarat.
The repair and maintenance of this traditional house was done by a total six artists along with Shri Bhaddu Bhai Rathwa, who came from district Chhota Nagpur (Gujarat). The roof of the house was prepared from bamboo, balli, and the work of printing and painting the walls prepared with a mixture of yellow clay, bhusha and cow dung was done, as well as "Pithora" painting on the inner walls of the house. The work was completed by furnishing the tax walls.
In this regard, the director of the museum, Dr. P. K. Mishra said that the life of Rathwas revolves around agriculture and rites connected with it. They propitiate bobuind in anticipation of good agricultural yield and general prosperity of families. Ashado dev is a sanctuary in the forest where the tribals perform naval or the offering of new horses for the good of the village.
The landscape of a Rathwa habitat is often composed of 20-25 houses belonging to one or two lineages scattered on hill-tops and their gradual Slopes over four to five kms. Houses are set apart from each other by Jawar & Maize fields with scattered clusters of palm trees.
Surrounded by a Wattle-fence, the Rathwa house face towads the east, the house is a rectangular structure. The roof is made of split bamboo covered with baked clay tiles or dried palm leaves. The walls are made of split bamboo pastered with a mixture of cow dung, straw and mud. A separate structure almost as large as the main house is built parallel to the house with no partition walls for cattle and goats. The main wall of vrandah carries a sacred painting of Pithora and the side-walls minor deities.