Inside Sonam Wangchuk’s ‘tribal house’ made of mud that needs no heating in Ladakh winters | Bollywood News

5 min readNew DelhiJul 27, 2026 06:17 PM Innovator, educator and engineer Sonam Wangchuk, who emerged as the face of the CJP-led student protest, has finally been discharged from the Medanta Hospital. In a video shared after his discharge, Wangchuk announced that he would first visit Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi before returning to the mountains—his home in Ladakh. Wangchuk was on a 26-day hunger strike as part of CJP protest, demanding broader reforms to the examination system and the resignation of Union Education Miner Dharmendra Pradhan over multiple examination paper leaks.
But did you know the celebrated engineer lives in a house he designed himself, one that beautifully blends traditional Ladakhi architecture with modern technology?
About three years ago, Wangchuk gave viewers a tour of his sustainable home in a video with Tribal Girl. The house, built in Ladakh, is entirely free of concrete. Constructed using mud, it combines centuries-old building techniques with contemporary interiors and sustainable innovations.
Wangchuk affectionately calls it a “tribal house” because of the material used to build it.
One side of Sonam Wangchuk’s house is made entirely of glass to keep the house warm during the winters. (Photo: Tribal Girl/YouTube)
“We often give up on traditional ways of making homes. Mud houses are now almost unheard of. However, I have kept the best of both worlds. I have adopted what was good in the past and enhanced it with today’s technology,” he said.
The house is made of mud which keeps it cool during summers. (Photo: Tribal Girl/YouTube)
While the interiors feature modern furniture, they remain deeply rooted in Ladakhi culture.
“They are all low seating, connected to our tradition. Usually, people in Ladakh like to sit like this,” he explained.Story continues below this ad
The walls of Sonam Wangchuk’s house are made of mud. (Photo: Tribal Girl/YouTube)
The mud walls naturally keep the house cool during summers. In winters, instead of relying on firewood for heating, Wangchuk uses passive solar technology. Explaining the concept, he said one of the walls, known as the “black wall”, has water bottles embedded inside it. During the day, the winter sun heats the water stored in these bottles, which then gradually releases warmth into the house after sunset.
“While the walls, windows and glass are modern, the technology used is traditional,” he said.
Sonam Wangchuk’s living room has low seating. (Photo: Tribal Girl/YouTube)
The house features a wooden roof, mud walls and contemporary interiors that complement its sustainable design.
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Even the kitchen reflects Wangchuk’s philosophy of blending tradition with modern living. Designed as an open kitchen with a dining table, it was built with a simple thought. “The idea was to ensure the cook never feels isolated,” he said.
Sonam Wangchuk’s bedroom. (Photo: Tribal Girl/YouTube)
He has also designed the washroom using traditional, waterless sanitation methods, where no water is required and human waste is systematically collected and composted for use as fertiliser.
Wangchuk has often said that the purpose behind building the house was to inspire more people in Ladakh to embrace sustainable construction combining traditional wisdom with modern technology, allowing them to enjoy the best of both worlds.
While the walls are made of mud, the roof is made of wood. (Photo: Tribal Girl/YouTube)
On June 28, Wangchuk gave the CJP-led student protest a dramatic turn announcing an indefinite hunger strike until the Education Miner resigned and meaningful reforms were introduced in the examination system. After 26 days without food, he ended his fast in the presence of BJP president JP Nadda on Thursday after receiving assurances that his key demands would be addressed.Story continues below this ad
The washroom is made using traditional technology which converts the waste into a fertilizer. (Photo: Tribal Girl/YouTube)
Since then, Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned as Education Miner. The government has also announced a fast-track court to expedite paper leak cases and constituted a task force to recommend reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s examination system.
Until the recent protest, Sonam Wangchuk was best known as the real-life innovator who inspired the character of Rancho in 3 Idiots. The film’s makers, however, had long maintained that they were unaware of Wangchuk while developing the film. That claim has been questioned over the years, especially since Aamir Khan met Wangchuk at an award function in Mumbai months before the film went on floors.
Interestingly, Wangchuk himself was never enthusiastic about being associated with the blockbuster. He has previously revealed that after the film’s release, he wrote to the makers about the similarities between his life and the character, but never received a response.