JHAROKAS AND ROMANCE Today, these jharokas are remnants of this once grand statement of the ruling class. They, however, also conceal tales of innocent romance and give a glimpse of possibilities for the women of Old Lahore. Jharokas were designed with jalis, providing a sense of privacy for women. They could sit peacefully on their pedestal and experience the outside world without necessarily being exposed – the jalis would conveniently screen them. Even with this carefully designed segregation, romance bloomed in secrecy. In a conservative culture, ideas of romance are often delicate and a mere communication would commence, just within moments of eye contact between a young man on the street and a girl mounted atop a jharoka. They say that the eyes of the women of Old Lahore are extremely expressive and carry out conversations without words. These traditional balconies were the mediums facilitating the subtle communication. However, as time changes, culture evolves. The women of Old Lahore are not as heavily veiled, and don’t need to be concealed behind jalis. Maybe, it is time for these women to be empowered enough to design the amount of privacy they require within their space. Transformable jharokas, allowing women to fold their screens and convert balconies into windows provides them with a subtle choice of when, how and by whom they wish to be viewed.
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