A bukhāri (

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

بُخاری) is a traditional

space heater A space heater is a device used to heat a single, small to medium sized area. Operation Electric space heaters fall into four main categories: fan heaters, ceramic, infrared, and oil-filled. * Fan heaters are the cheapest, but are often the ...

from

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

and northern areas of the

Indian Subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...

, which is typically a

wood-burning stove A wood-burning stove (or wood burner or log burner in the UK) is a heating or cooking appliance capable of burning wood fuel and wood-derived biomass fuel, such as sawdust bricks. Generally the appliance consists of a solid metal (usually cast i ...

. ''Bukharis'' consist of a wide cylindrical fire-chamber at the base in which

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...

or other fuel is burned and a narrower cylinder on the top that helps in heating the room and acts as a

chimney A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...

. The base of an Indian ''bukhari'' is wider than that of most western wood-burning stoves. ''Bukharis'' are found in the entire northern belt of the region, i.e. Afghanistan, Tajikistan, northern

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...

and

Northeast India , native_name_lang = mni , settlement_type = , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , motto = , image_map = Northeast india.png , ...

Etymology

The term ''bukhār'' is a

word meaning ''heat'' or ''fever''. In modern Persian, the term ''bukhari'' generically refers to a heater.

Use in poultry farming

''Bukharis'' are in widespread use by poultry farmers in North India to keep birds warm during winter nights.

Fuel alternatives and conservation

Forest conservation imperatives have resulted in the development of alternative designs for ''bukharis'' in India, including

kerosene Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning "wax", and was regi ...

-based versions and ''bukharis'' that are more fuel-efficient than the traditional varieties.

Hazards

Frequently, ''bukhari'' chimneys are not long enough to vent smoke outside the house, resulting in annual deaths from

carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as "flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large e ...

in the region. Public authorities and mass media in the region often exhort people not to use '' angithis'' or ''bukharis'' in closed rooms. ''Bukharis'' also present a hazard for children due to their hot metallic surfaces and easy hinged access to the fuel-burning area.

References

{{reflist, 2 Burners Heaters Residential heating

Etymology

Use in poultry farming

Fuel alternatives and conservation

Hazards

See also

References