THE CUPOLAS

• After studying the PATWON KI HAVELI. JAISALMER and understanding the cultural and social relationship with architecture in detail, following conclusion can be made • The Havelis respond most appropriately to society of the place in terms of material selection, spatial organization, and composition of haveli facade. • Patwon ki haveli clearly exhibit sociocultural factors, which affected their formation in general. entrance, baithak , courtyard and service areas are placed in an order from open to semi- open to closed in a hierarchical way. • The houses provide flexible usage for men and women without distinction in the family. The distinction between men and women under societal influence had let to the concept of a baithak and mahal or mardana , different entrances and jharokas to the street. The separate entrances for women and men required a hierarchy like private, semi-public and public order. • The status of the family affected the size of the house, the number of floors and the shape of entrance doors. Moreover, extended family structure created multifunctional rooms that provide flexible usage for day and night, and summer and winter. • Men and women gather separately in chowks and baithak spaces for cultural ceremonies. Only family men member were allowed inside the court /chowk. • Chowk or courtyard was considered to central space around which all activites spaces like kitchen, paniyara etc. were incorporated . The center of chowk demarcated the entrance and also the center of inner court and outer façade. • Entrance was the space that demarcate the relation of members with neighbours. • Also the grandeur in façade and detail demarcations of family status and symbol in the region , the grander the haveli and its detailing richer is the family. • Also the sizes of jharokas and openings were designed in such a way keeping in mind of the privacy of women and also making them connected to the outside world by creation of peeping window in lower level of haveli. • I can conclude my argumentation regarding the Patwon havelis of Jaisalmer that after finding out the sociocultural factors that affect the formation of those very factors in general despite several constraints . Courtyard , entrance, baithak ,services are in proper hierarchy and reflect the social norms and value through various architectural artifacts .