Chhot

A chhot was like a big, floating island that people used to live on! It was made of mud, plants, and roots all stuck together. Think of it like a giant raft, but instead of wood, it was made of earth and greenery. These floating homes were strong enough to hold houses and even people walking around. They were a clever way to build on water!

Chhots were first made a long, long time ago by people called the Uru. They lived near a big lake in South America called Lake Titicaca. The Uru people needed a place to live, but the land was often wet. So, they invented these amazing floating islands to build their homes on. It was like creating their own land in the middle of the water!

Chhots were super important because they let people live in a place that was mostly water. They could move their homes around on the lake if they wanted to. The chhots also provided food because plants grew on them, and people could fish from their floating homes. It was a whole tiny world on the water!

Building a chhot was a big job! People would gather lots of reeds, which are like tall, skinny plants. They would tie bundles of these reeds together to make a thick, floating base. Then, they would add more reeds and mud on top to create a solid surface. Finally, they would plant grass and other plants to make it look and feel like land!