Climatic and socio cultural analysis on vernacular settlement of Bohra community at Siddhpur

CLIMATIC AND SOCIO CULTURAL ANALYSIS ON VERNACULAR SETTLEMENT OF BOHRA COMMUNITY AT SIDDHPUR

A DISSERTATION REPORT Submitted by

S.VIDHYA 115011001492 Under the guidance of Ar. Joseph Fernando, D.Arch (Cept) MT&CP Assistant professor In partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE IN ARCHITECTURE

DEPARTMENT OFARCHITECTURE FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING PERIYAR MANIAMMAI INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY VALLAM, THANJAVUR - 613403 NOVEMBER - 2019 i

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE (FAP) Periyar Nagar, Vallam, Thanjavur - 613 403, Tamil Nadu,

India Phone: +91 - 4362 - 264600, Fax: +91 - 4362 - 264660 Email: headarch@pmu.edu, Web: www.pmu.edu

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that this Dissertation Report is the bonafide work of Ms. S.VIDHYA, REG. NO: 115011001492 who carried out the dissertation entitled “CLIMATIC AND SOCIO CULTURAL ANALYSIS ON VERNACULAR SETTLEMENT OF BOHRA COMMUNITY AT SIDDHPUR” under our supervision from June 2019 to November 2019. Certified further that to the best of our knowledge the work reported herein does not form part of any other dissertation on the basis of which a degree or award was conferred on an earlier occasion of this or any other candidate.

INTERNAL GUIDE

HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

Submitted for Viva voce Examination held on_____________________

INTERNAL EXAMINER

: (Name in capital letter with signature)

EXTERNAL EXAMINER

: (Name in capital letter with signature)

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DECLARATION

I S.VIDHYA / REG. NO: 115011001492 hereby declare that this Dissertation Report entitled “CLIMATIC AND SOCIO CULTURAL ANALYSIS ON VERNACULAR SETTLEMENT OF BOHRA COMMUNITY AT SIDDHPUR” done by me under the guidance of Ar. Joseph Fernando, D.Arch (Cept) MT&CP at the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, PERIYAR MANIAMMAI INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, VALLAM, THANJAVUR is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Architecture degree. I Assure that to the best of my knowledge the work reported herein does not form part of any other dissertation on the basis of which a degree or award was conferred on an earlier occasion of this or any other candidate.

DATE:

PLACE:

SIGNATURE OF THE CANDIDATE

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I hereby acknowledge my indebtedness and a deep sense of gratitude to the Institution for permitting, in carrying out the process of dissertation.

I express my heartfelt thanks to Dr. C.V. Subramanian Dean, Faculty of Architecture and Planning for his support extended by constant encouragement throughout the period.

I extend my sincere thanks to Ar. N. Ramesh Babu, Head of the Department and to all the dedicated staff members of the Department of Architecture.

My sincere thanks to Ar. E. Uma Mouthiga, Dissertation Coordinator, and Department of Architecture for the support extended.

‘I extend my special thanks to my Dissertation Guide Ar.Joseph Fernando, for the valuable suggestions and encouragement.

Last, but not the least, I am immensely obliged with the support and encouragement rendered by my parents and friends throughout the dissertation.

The completion of this report has been made possible because of the involvement of many individuals at various stages. I would like to thank them all in this regards.

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ABSTRACT Architecture is a manifestation and expression of culture. As such it must acknowledge and respond to the cultural needs and values of the society with which it interacts. Culture should be understood as a system of interconnected beliefs and values. Amos Rapoport says “Culture is a whole way of life”. It is a complex of beliefs, traditions, religious or social group and various races. Architecture is originated from climate and culture it affects and reflects the identity of that society. Culture is originated from human interaction and it is a main element of social and individual’s identity.

Residential architecture evolved basically for the need or shelters. They built the structures based on the climate, the materials available, their culture, location of their structure type of structure and various other factors. The way they live, the way they use it etc., has a great influence in the building forms. The size of the family units, the spaces which they use the way their food is prepared the way they eat it, the way interact the work they do, how they do it etc. will also affect the layout and size of the buildings. For example, in certain places the dwelling units are clustered.

These clusters might contain people belonging to the same family, or same caste, or clam or even of the same occupation, One dwelling unit might be used by one family or several dwelling units can be used by the same family itself All these totally depend upon culture.

Climate is one of the main reason to influence the vernacular architecture. Climate decided the roof forms, to an extent the sequence of rooms, the size of the rooms and the materials.

Different climatic regions have different styles of architecture. Sloping roof for rainy areas and steep slopes in areas where snowfall is present. Courtyards types of houses in order to facilitate good ventilation etc., Climate decides the type of spaces or the forms in a building but however it is culture which decides how the spaces should be arranged or how they are decorated, how they are planned whether they should be extroverted or introverted etc. Buildings from the same climatic region are different because of this aspect.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER NO

TITLE

PAGE NO

ABSTRACT………………………………………..

LIST OF TABLES…………………………………

LIST OF FIGURES………………………………..

1.

1. INTRODUCTION……………………………….….1 1.1. HYPOTHESIS………………………………....1 1.2. NEED FOR THE STUDY………………….….1 1.3. AREA OF STUDY………………………….…1 1.4. AIM……………………………………….…....1 1.5. OBJECTIVES……………………………….…1 1.6. METHODOLOGY…………………………….1 1.7. SCOPE………………………………………....1 1.8. DETAILED METHODOLOGY…………….…2 1.8.1. STAGE 1………………………….……..2 1.8.2. STAGE 2…………………………….…..2 1.8.3 STAGE 3…………………………….…...2 1.8.4. STAGE 4…………………………….…..2 1.9. LIMITATIONS…………………………….…..3

2.

2.1. LITERATURE REVIEW……………………...3 2.1.1. INTRODUCTION TO CULTURE….….3 2.1.2. ANTHROPOLOGY………………….…3 2.1.3. ANTHROPOLOGY (CULTURE & MENTAL PROCESS)……………….…3 2.1.4. ASPECTS OF CULTURE (LIMIT THE SCOPE OF CULTURAL SYSTEM IN RELATION TO ARCHITECTURE)…...3

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2.1.5. RELATIONSHIP TO NATURE (ACCORDING TO AMOS RAPOPORT)………………….3 2.1.6. CHANGES IN CULTURE (SINCE VALUES ARE NOT FIXED, THEY FLUCTUATE)…………………………4 2.1.7. DIFFICULTY OF PREDICTIONS…….4 2.2. BOOK REVIEW 2.2.1. THE NATURE AND DEFINITION OF FIELD………………………….…5 2.2.2. ALTERNATIVE THEORIES OF HOUSE FORM……………………….6 2.2.3. SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS AND HOUSE FORMS………………7 2.2.4. CLIMATE AS MODIFYING FACTOR…………………………….9 2.2.5. CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY AS MODIFYING FACTORS……..……..9 2.2.6. CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY AS MODIFYING FACTORS……………………………9 2.2.7. A LOOK AT THE PRESENT………10

3.

3.1. CULTURE OF BOHRA COMMUNITY…..11 3.1.1. CONTEXTUAL FRAME AND RELIGIOUS PLURALITY……….....11 3.1.2. THE FAMILY STRUCTURE AND OCCUPATION………………………13

4.

4.1. SIDDHPUR- CASE STUDY 4.1.1. INTRODUCTION………………….14 4.1.2. HISTORY…………………………..16

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4.2. CLIMATE AND ARCHITECTURE………16 4.2.1. CLIMATIC SIGNIFICANCE……..16 4.2.1. POLS RESPONSE TOWARDS CLIMATE………………………….16

4.3. SETTLEMENT LEVEL 4.3.1. POL (INFLUENCE OBTAINED FROM)……………………………..19 4.3.2. SETTLEMENT PATTERN………..20 4.3.3. ORGANIC DEVELOPMENT……..20 4.3.4. PLANNED DEVELOPMENT….….23 4.4. BUILT FORM LEVEL…………………...24 4.4.1. TRADITIONAL DWELLING UNITS OF GUJARAT……………..24 4.4.2. THE BOHRA HOUSES…………....25 4.4.3. THREE INTERESTING FEATURES OF BOHRA HOUSE……………...26 4.4.4. SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF BOHRA COMMUNITY HOUSES..27 4.4.5. ELEMENTS OF BOHRA COMMUNITY HOUSES…….…....29

4.5. MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION.....29 4.5.1. STRUCTURE……………………...29 4.5.2. WOODWORK……………………..30 4.5.3. CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES..30

5.

INFERENCE…………………………………..31

6.

CONCLUSION……………………………......33

REFERENCES………………………………...42

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LIST OF FIGURE

Figure 2.2 Cover page of book “House form and culture”- Amos Rapoport (1969)…4 Figure 4.1.1. a. Location of Gujarat in India………………………………………….14 Figure 4.1.1. b. District map of Gujarat………………………………………………15 Figure 4.1.1. c. Location of Siddhpur in district map of Gujarat……………………..15 Figure 4.1.1 d.

………………...…15

Figure 4.2.1. a. Shadow pattern in street section……………………………………..19 Figure 4.2.1. b. Activity pattern in street section……………………………………..19 Figure 4.3.2. a. Nani bohrwad (an organic development)…………………………….21 Figure 4.3.2 b. Typical cluster of bohrwads (detailed)……………………………….22 Figure 4.3.4. a. Voti bohrwad (planned development)…………………………….....23 Figure 4.3.4. b. community spaces of Bohra community………………………….....23 Figure 4.4.1. Basic triumphant prototype…………………………………………….24 Figure 4.4.2. a. Fully developed urban house type…………………………………...25 Figure 4.4.2. b. Plan and section of Najimuddin Panchmariwala……………………26 Figure 4.4.5. a. Plan and section of zarookhas…………………………………..…...29 Figure 5. Wind funnel effect (Bernoulli's theorem)………………………………….31

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1.8. Detailed methodology……………………………………………………..2 Table 2.2. Contents of house form and culture……………………………………….5 Table 2.2.1. Relationship between house form and behavior………………………...6 Table 2.2.2. People’s preference………………………………………...……………7 Table 2.2.3. a. Factors determining the house form…………………………………..7 Table 2.2.3. b. Factors of site…………………………………………………………8 Table 2.2.3. c. Relationship between nature and site………………………………....8 Table 3.1.1. a. Types of Merchants………………………………………………….11 Table 3.1.1. b. Divisions of Bohras……………………………………………….…12

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CHAPTER: 1 INTRODUCTION

1

1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. HYPOTHESIS 

Do the cultural and social setup overshadows the climatic oriented features?



Do people they considered their house form as a symbol of their culture?

1.2. NEED FOR THE STUDY Architecture is originated from climate and culture it affects and reflects the identity of that society.

Culture is originated from human interaction and it is a main element of social and individual’s identity.

1.3. AREA OF STUDY To understand the aspects of culture and climate which will most likely influence the architectural form.

1.4. AIM To understand the climatic and socio-cultural influence in the vernacular settlements and traditional dwelling units of Bohra community at Siddhpur.

1.5. OBJECTIVES: •

To study about the settlement pattern of Bohra community (Bohravads) at Siddhpur.

•

To study the sociology and planning of traditional Bohra house forms at Siddhpur.

1.6. METHODOLOGY The research is aimed at exploring the cultural expressions in the vernacular architecture of Gujarat by: 1. Analysing the place at settlement level.

2. Selecting and analysing any one residential unit of each settlement in that Region.

Why Gujarat?

•

80% of population still inhabits in traditional houses which are more than 100 years old

•

Domestic lifestyle remain unchanged.

Why Bhoras?

The traditional habitats of the Islamic community of the Bohras (generally referred to Daudi Bohras) in Gujarat are excellent examples of traditional architecture rooted in the regional landscape.

1.7. SCOPE: Learning from vernacular architecture for the development of future sustainable built environments.

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1.8. DETAILED METHODOLOGY

Table 1.8. Detailed methodology 1.8.1. STAGE 1 DATA COLLECTION- The stage one includes the inference from the book review, understanding of the contextual frame and religious plurality of Gujarat and Bohra community and identifying the prototype to be studied.

1.8.2. STAGE 2 ANALYSIS- The stage two carry out the analysis part from the book review which includes the climatic, socio-cultural factors influencing the house forms, and the analysis on impact of climate in the built form, and analysing the settlement pattern and dwelling units.

1.8.3. STAGE 3 INFERENCE- The stage three includes the analysis part from the inference and the spatial organization and the behavioural pattern.

1.8.4. STAGE 4 3

CONCLUSION- The stage four carries the conclusion how learning from vernacular architecture for the development of future sustainable built environments.

1.9. LIMITATIONS The research limits its scope to study only about the settlement pattern, and one dwelling unit from the settlement of Bohra community at Siddhpur.

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CHAPTER: 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

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2.1. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1.1. INTRODUCTION TO CULTURE Architecture is a manifestation and expression of culture. As such it must acknowledge and respond to the cultural needs and values of the society with which it interacts. Culture should be understood as a system of interconnected beliefs and values. Amos Rapoport says “Culture is a whole way of life”. It is a complex of beliefs, traditions, religious or social group and various races.

2.1.2. ANTHROPOLOGY It is the scientific study of humans and human behavior and societies in the past and present.

Study of anthropology guides an architect to relate the architectural aspects of a building to the people who will inhabit the building. An architect uses anthropology to understand how architecture influences peoples, how it makes people, how it shapes them and how it sustains social relations between people. Anthropology bridges the architectural aspects of building such as techniques of construction, types of buildings, environmental conditions, resources, technology and aspects of organization of space to the social and cultural facts of those who will be using the building.

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY The study of living peoples and their cultures, including variation and change. Culture refers to people’s learned and shared behaviors and beliefs 2.1.3. ANTHROPOLOGY (CULTURE & MENTAL PROCESS) In his seminal study on house form Amos Rapoport proposed five aspects of culture he describes as most likely to influence the architectural form.

They are: the family structure, hierarchy, the varied role of women within society, attitudes toward privacy, and Social interaction 2.1.5. RELATIONSHIP TO NATURE (ACCORDING TO AMOS RAPOPORT) •

The way the culture reacts toward nature can dramatically affect the architectural form.

•

Rapoport has defined three major classifications of this relationship.

2.1.6. CHANGES IN CULTURE (SINCE VALUES ARE NOT FIXED, THEY FLUCTUATE).

Responding to the altering outside world, a culture requires this ability to accommodate change in order to maintain itself. In a sense, the cultural system fluctuates in order to "repair" itself to accommodate the altering external situations.

6

2.1.7. DIFFICULTY OF PREDICTIONS. Several problems arise when one considers changes that occur in culture and how these changes may affect the built environment. The first problem has to do with the number of directions a society may take in development.

2.2. BOOK REVIEW

(1969) “House form is not simply the result of physical forces or any single casual factor, but is the consequence of a whole range of socio−cultural factors seen in their broadest terms” (page 47).

The book “House Form and Culture” was originally written in 1969

by Amos Rapoport. Not only making a description and comparison of traditional housing through the world, but analyzing them and the factors that determine their shape and organization, and the modifiers that determine their constraints.

Figure 2.2 Cover page of book “House form and culture” - Amos Rapoport (1969) ISBN: 9780133956733

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CONTENTS OF HOUSE FORM AND CULTURE Table 2.2. Contents of house form and culture

2.2.1. THE NATURE AND DEFINITION OF FIELD •

Amos says that form the beginning researchers and archeologists have concentrated only on the monumental architecture, which traditionally was considered to be a manifestation of each culture, but, how about housing?

•

Housing is the manifestation of the daily life of their inhabitants, in each historical period and in each location across the globe, it must be the expression of the culture, beliefs, needs, and desires.

•

Importance of Vernacular Architecture.

•

Tradition as a regulatory has disappeared due to Increase in number of building Loss of commonly shared value system.

Society dissatisfied with traditional form due to nonfunctional consideration and is linked to socio-cultural factors. (Our culture puts a premium on originality).

8

Table 2.2.1. Relationship between house form and behavior It is implicitly accepted that there is a link between behavior and form in two senses: •

First, in the sense that an understanding of behavior patterns, including desires, motivations, and feelings, is essential to the understanding of built form and

•

Second, in the sense that forms, once built, affect behavior and the way of life.

2.2.2. ALTERNATIVE THEORIES OF HOUSE FORM CLIMATE AND THE NEED FOR SHELTER He explains man need shelter to protect himself from the harsh climate, animals and other predators etc., and that helped in the formation of different house forms.

The question, is of course why there are two forms of house within same place and same culture?

Religious proscriptions sometimes create anticlimactic solutions, Example: Chinese houses in Malay region.

MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY •

Symbolism is apparently of more importance than utility. Materials, construction, and technology are best treated as modifying factors, rather than form determinants.

•

Social values plays a major role in comfort of the occupants

Example: North Africa the French piped water, Japanese roof forms.

3.

SITE

4.

DEFENCE

5.

ECONOMICS

6.

RELIGION

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Table 2.2.2. People’s preference 2.2.3. SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORSAND HOUSE FORMS •

According to him it’s the reaction of human beings to external stimuli that affects his dwelling more than physical forces.

•

He has given an insight to the caste based system in India where houses in a settlement are no more designed on the basis of mutual interest but are based more on their status in the society.

To sum it up the houses are greatly affected by habitant’s basic needs, the families living in it and the social interactions.

•

People with different attitudes and ideas respond differently to physical environments. These responses differ from person to person and place to place due to interchange of social, cultural, ritual, economic and physical factors.

•

House is mostly influenced by culture more than solving functions.

•

The physical setting provides the opportunities and which choices are made through taboos, customs, and traditional ways of the culture.

Table 2.2.3. a. Factors determining the house form THE RELATION OF HOUSE AND SETTLEMENT •

The house cannot be seen in isolation from the settlement, but must be viewed as part of a total social and spatial system which relates the house, way of life, settlement, and even land- scape.

Man lives in the whole settlement of which the house is only a part, and the way in which he uses the settlement affects house form.

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Example: The most common concentrated and dispersed settlement.

SITE AND CHOICES •

They are mainly the result of social factors, which may include family or clan structure and grouping; relation to animals, and the spatial relations with them; attitudes to nature; the needs of magic and sacred orientation; and the symbolism of land- scape features.

Table 2.2.3. b. Factors of site The attitude toward nature and site would be an important aspect of the creation of house form, or its modification by the site, and that the relation of man to landscape is the first aspect which needs to be considered. A number of classifications of such attitudes have been proposed and the three historical forms are Religious and cosmological, Symbiotic and Exploitative.

NATURE & SITE

•

Religious and cosmological Symbiotic Exploitative

Table 2.2.3. c. Relationship between nature and site

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2.2.4. CLIMATE AS MODIFYING FACTOR He explains the reason for construction and materials for being regarded as modifying factors, in spite of their fundamental nature, as they do not yet determine form.

•

This chapter deals with the universal problems of enclosing of space, weathering, wind forces and probably the ways in which different people have solved them and the form consequences these solutions may result in.

•

“Construction Materials and Technology as Modifying Factors” tells us about the importance of various materials and framework that makes up a building. The lack of proper construction technology can lead to the failure of design even if it is compatible with the physical forces and social policies. Again this has led to the improvement of technology construction wise when the materials are not abundantly available.

•

Religious proscriptions may also affect the use of materials.

Example: Brick and tile were prohibited for houses in some areas of India, whereas for temples wood was forbidden, except for the door. Materials which involve a great deal of effort or labor may be prestigious, and hence favored by rulers and priests. Certain materials may be related to those used in a previous habitat prior to migration, and thus represent archaic survivals.

2.2.5. CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY AS MODIFYING FACTORS •

He explains the reason for construction and materials for being regarded as modifying factors, in spite of their fundamental nature, as they do not yet determine form.

•

This chapter deals with the universal problems of enclosing of space, weathering, wind forces and probably the ways in which different people have solved them and the form consequences these solutions may result in.

•

“Construction Materials and Technology as Modifying Factors” tells us about the importance of various materials and framework that makes up a building. The lack of proper construction technology can lead to the failure of design even if it is compatible with the physical forces and social policies. Again this has led to the improvement of technology construction wise when the materials are not abundantly available.

•

Religious proscriptions may also affect the use of materials.

Example: Brick and tile were prohibited for houses in some areas of India, whereas for temples wood was forbidden, except for the door. Materials which involve a great deal of effort or labor may be prestigious, and hence favored by rulers and priests. Certain materials may be related to those used in a previous habitat prior to migration, and thus represent archaic survivals.

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2.2.7. A LOOK AT THE PRESENT •

His conclusion, is that the house form is a matter of choice and that today’s problem is one of excessive choices.

•

He retorts that the greater institutionalization and specialization of modern life has resulted in loss of dominant characters of primitive and vernacular building forms. He highlights the loss of clear hierarchy in settlements and within the society, and all buildings getting equal prominence.

•

Utilitarian view is rather submerged with the strong appeal of aesthetics of buildings. (The house form now is a domain of fashion alone.)

•

He claims the present era is one with excessive choice, the difficulty of selecting or finding constraints which arose naturally in the past and which are necessary for the creation of meaningful house form.

•

This is an alarming note and leads to the growing need of understanding of the criticality and the primacy of socio-cultural factors and the resulting house form and its choice. The study of past can give a rather loose framework where interplay of the constant and changeable aspects of man can find its expression.

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CHAPTER: 3 DATA COLLECTION

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3.1. CULTURE OF BOHRA COMMUNITY 3.1.1. CONTEXTUAL FRAME AND RELIGIOUS PLURALITY •

Since Siddhpur is present on the border of the ancient river Saraswati

•

Gujarat provided commodities to different places as far as south-east and west Asia. It was also a manufacturing centre for high quality textiles which had a large demand in internal and international market. Due to its accelerated commercial activities and ports, it played an important role in the development of trade and commerce, Gujarat has always been acknowledged as commercial, urbanized and affluent region in Indian History.

•

In order to appreciate the presence of varied nature of mercantile community in Gujarat one has to acknowledge the characteristics of Gujarat. It had considerable agricultural resources to sustain and provide impetus to mercantile activities, evidences also indicates the presence of accelerated activity in commercial and manufacturing centres. This peculiarly conducive environment led to the region becoming a hub not only of thriving mercantile institutions and capital but also becoming a conglomerate of skilled artisans and craftsmen.

•

The arrival of European companies and increasing demand for Indian manufacturing for products like cotton, cloth, raw silk and variety of silk textile in European market and in Asian countries, was perhaps the important cause for the growth of some of the towns that became manufacturing centres.

•

The merchants of medieval Gujarat were Hindus, Jain, Muslims and Parsi.However Tirmizi has adopted variant criterion to divide merchants into three broad categories. He has classified them into itinerant, foreign and local converts:

MERCHANTS ITINERANT MERCHANTS

FOREIGN MERCHANTS

LOCAL CONVERTS

Table 3.1.1. a. Types of Merchants 1. The itinerant merchants: who visited Gujarat for purpose of trade and returned to their native countries after transacting their business.

2. The foreign merchants: who hailed from distant places and settled down in Gujarat.

3. The local converts from Hinduism to Islam.

Among the local converts of Islam, the Bohras, the Khojas and the Memons were commercially most important communities.

15

Most of these converts were from the poor and middle class strata of the society. The democratic premise of Islam with an emphasis on equality among people had a greater appeal to the lower castes and other subcastes, of the Hindus.

Since Islam had originated among the prefeudal trading classes of Mecca and other desert nomads of Arabia, the Islamic sect imbided many a progressive element of the religious and cultural outlook of these regions. While in India, the Hindu traders were having conflicts not only with the feudal lords but also with those who were lower in the caste hierarchy, like the untouchables. As a result, the traders were more inclined to adopt Islam with its strong sense of equality.

Gujarat has maintained its identity as a commercial centre and fame for industries, such as shipbuilding, cotton, silk, indigo, agate and paper etc. Different communities of merchants were involved in these industries. They had a significant role in the business, the paper industry of Ahmadabad was dominated by the Bohras, and shipbuilding in various places was monopolized by Bohras.

The merchants of Gujarat have attracted attention of historians for their business style, their commercial network, contacts with Europeans and their monopoly over some particular merchandise.

I

Table 3.1.1. b. Divisions of Bohras The traditional habitats of the Islamic community of the Bohras (generally referred to Daudi Bohras) from Gujarat with a very distinct history and identity. A close knit community, they have a significant presence in Indian cities like Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and East African countries like Madagascar.

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•

The Bohra Muslims are a rich Muslim community who made significant contributions to the development of Sidhpur.

•

The Bohra Are The Third Community Of Islam.

•

It's a Minority in Siddhpur and not accepted by Majority of Muslim Communities.

•

There are Bohra Mosques that were built in different style and women wore brightly coloured Burka's.

•

Siddhpur had holy Cremation Site Called “Bohra Bad” and the Historic Dawoodi Bohra Houses.

3.1.2. THE FAMILY STRUCTURE AND OCCUPATION Bohra homes were typically occupied by joint families. As most of them are traders, and frequently travel to other towns for business, they prefer that their family members should stay amongst members of their community. The first floor was used to accommodate the growing family and occasional visitors. As the pressure of population increased, the normal two-storey house was often expanded to three or four storeys, with the basic plan repeated on each floor. The ground floor continued to be the main floor of the house and each subsequent floor was considered less important. This was evident from the fact that the quality of the woodwork and finish on each successive storey was inferior to the one below Brick walls gave way to thin partitions of half timbering and the carvings became scanty. A glance at the elevation will reveal this. But there was an important change in usage, reported by a number of merchant families. In the urban house it now became customary for married couples to share the same room or sleeping corner, and very often the upper floors were used for this purpose. This was a clear break from rural tradition and it is interesting to speculate on its origins.

The rural life-style, mainly an outdoor one, separated husbands and wives at night but also enabled them to meet surreptitiously. Thus, both obstacles to cohabitation and their solution were built into the system. In the urban situation, however, congestion must have made surreptitious cohabitation impossible husbands and wives were compelled to occupy the same spaces. The only solution lay in discreetly permitting couples to sleep together at night but to rigidly separate them during the day. This break in tradition was a concession made to the realities of urbanization, and explains why it became convenient to add additional floors to the house for younger married couples to move into. It also explains why each succeeding floor was given a progressively Inferior status.

The parents naturally occupied the prestigious ground floor. But despite occupying different floors at night, all family members used the ground floor during the day to perform their household activities thus restoring the original usage as far as possible.

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CHAPTER: 3 LITERATURE STUDY

18

4.1. SIDDHPUR- CASE STUDY 4.1.1. INTRODUCTION GUJARAT The Gujarat has the longest sea coast as compared with other states of India. Endowed with a long coastline, maritime trade was the economic mainstay of the region since ancient times and it was connected with many parts of the world by land and by sea.Urban settlement grew in Gujarat due to international and national sea and land trade routes.

Figure 4.1.1. a. Location of Gujarat in India

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1SABARKANTHA 2 - PANCHMAHAL 3 - DAHOD (ST) 4 - CHHOTA UDAIPUR(ST) 5 - BARDOLI (ST) 6 - VALSAD (ST) 7 - NAVSARI 8 - SURAT 9 - BHARUCH 10 - VADODARA 11 - ANAND 12 - KHEDA 13 - AHMEDABAD WEST(SC)

14 - AHMEDABAD EAST 15 - GANDHINAGAR 16 – MAHESANA 17 - PATAN 18 -SURENDRANAGAR 19 - BANASKANTHA 20 - KACHCHH (SC) 21 - RAJKOT 22 - BHAVNAGAR 23 - AMRELI 24 - JUNAGADH 25 - PORBANDAR 26 - JAMNAGAR

Figure 4.1.1. b. District map of Gujarat

Siddhpur, also spelled Sidhpur is a town, municipality and Sidhpur taluka headquarter in Patan district in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is a historical place located on the bank of the endorheic Saraswati River.

Figure 4.1.1. c. Location of Siddhpur in district map of Gujarat

Figure 4.1.1 d.

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4.1.2. HISTORY 

Sidhpur is a sacred town, around 103 kms north of Ahmedabad.



It is situated on the left bank of the River Saraswati, around 24 kms upstream of Anhilwad Patan, the old capital of Gujarat before Ahmedabad



It derived its name from the great ruler of Gujarat, Siddhraj Jaisinh from the Solanki dynasty.

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The city is also known for his havelis in hacienda architecture largely belonging to Dawoodi Bohra community and spread over 18 mohallas or neighborhoods.

 Siddhpur have the magnificent and beautiful havelis or medieval homes of Bohra traders. They are famous for their delicate wooden architecture and interior decoration of medieval style of India

4.2. CLIMATE AND ARCHITECTURE 4.2.1. CLIMATIC SIGNIFICANCE 

Climate has its impact on a number of organizational and construction elements such as orientation, cluster formation, the use of materials and it also leads to introduction of special architectural features.

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The climate in Gujarat varies from hot extreme desert climate in Kutch to the hot humid on the coastal areas and the Dang jungle on the east side.

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All buildings have to account for the hot weather during almost nine months of the year.

Sharing of long walls in this typology solve the major problem of heat gain as it results in a compact geometry where minimum surface areas remains exposed. All buildings have to account for the hot weather during almost nine months of the year.

4.2.1. POLS RESPONSE TOWARDS CLIMATE

The city of Ahmedabad is considered to have summer all the year round. It can be described as a hot climate with average outdoor temperatures between 20°C and 34° C. May is the hottest month with peak temperatures rising up to an intolerable 45°C and January the coldest with an average day temperature of 20°C. The city really never faces winters except a few months (December, January) when the night time temperatures reach as low as 10-14°C. For most part of the year Ahmedabad is hot and dry, with tropical rains for only three months from August to September. Mild season (November to February) is within the comfort zone for most parts of the day.

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Ahmedabad is marked by strong solar radiation throughout the year and it is understood that solar control is the one of the most effective strategies. It is seen that while the mild season experiences lower temperatures the amount of solar radiation received is still very high especially on the south vertical face. With regards to residential indoor comfort, where the indoor environment does not need to be fully controlled, ceiling fans offer a good compensation for coolers and air-conditioning.

At latitude of 22.42°N with a remarkably high incident solar radiation throughout the year, the streets of the Pol remain shaded and ensured outdoor comfort. In the survey done in Ahmedabad during the field study, it was observed that more than 72% of the people standing in shade felt comfortable outdoors at a temperature as high as 31°C even with very little air movement.

Technical analysis showed a street in the old city was able to obstruct more than 50% of the direct radiation.

The Summer Season (mid-March to mid-June) The thermal behavior of the pol house and massing of the house, shading, solar radiation, thermal mass and the occupancy of the residents. The house functions as a protective shell, keeping the outside heat at a distance and providing a microclimate of shade, cool surfaces and cooler, more humid air within the house.

The pol house is well sited for shading. The shared long party walls while exposing narrow end walls is a successful strategy. The wall surfaces exposed are furthermore on narrow streets which tend to shade the house facades during much of the day. The strategy of cloaking the exposed mass walls with carved wooden details makes it even more successful. The low thermal capacity of wood facings provides a shield between the incident solar radiation and the thermal mass of the house.

The tall and very narrow proportions of the chowk clearly minimizes the incoming solar radiation with self-shading which would otherwise enter the courtyard, heating up the interior mass of the pol house. In many houses the inside elevations of the chowk are also detailed with carved wooden details keeping the walls much shaded like the exteriors. The floor of the chowk is tiled and coupled either to the earth or the water tank below. The floor surface gets heated throughout the day, but is kept from overheating by the daily practices of the household. Cleanliness in the houses of Ahmedabad is culturally dictated and in many households an obsession. Thus it is a technique of evaporative cooling which is practiced.

Window openings which have often wooden shutters rather than glazing are opened during the cooler night hours and closed by 8 am to prevent the heat of the day from entering. The house is 22

flushed with cooler air during the night and hot air is exhausted through the stack of the courtyard.

The house moves from an open shell at night to a closed refuge during the hot day. The activities are carried out on the ground floor, moving around the chowk through the verandah space, while the upper floors are too hot to be occupied. At night the terrace is washed and allowed to cool, the beds are brought out. They are used for evening talks, watching television and sleeping.

The Monsoon (mid-June to mid-September) The particular problem posed by Ahmedabad is that the hot dry months turn so dramatically into hot humid and building moves from the desert to the tropics nearly overnight. When the rains arrive, the heat built up in the mass of the city fabric and the individual houses is flushed out. The daily patterns of occupancy and operation give way to the house as a open connector with the outdoors throughout the day. The overcast sky and the coolness of rains becomes the important external factor in thermal comfort.

During monsoon the lack of exposed building skin may become a problem for normal houses but in case of pol houses though with minimal exterior openings, it is difficult to cross ventilate but stagnant and dampness does not occur due to use of lime which has tendency to absorb moisture.

The chowk area now is no more a comfortable zone during rainy hours but a pleasant area for evening tea when it does not rains and drying of eatables/ clothes by keeping vigilance. The verandah now becomes the most active area where one enjoys the rains and does the household chores.

The Winter Season (November to February) As the temperature cools down in November and everyone emerges from the eight months ordeal, the pol house again begins to function on a diurnal basis. Now, however, the upper floor and terraces provide a comfortable place during hours that the sun is shining. This can be seen during the January kite flying festival, during which the entire city takes to the roofs of their houses and flies kites. The orientation of the terraces and street facades becomes important, since those pol houses with south facing exposures can open the shutters and admit sun into the upper rooms making it warm for the nights. Even the December noon sun is rarely enough to penetrate farther than the top floors adjacent to the chowk. The chowk, however does provide a stable environment, sheltered from the winter winds and, as in the simmer, a useful connection with the outside.

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Figure 4.2.1. a. Shadow pattern in street section

Figure 4.2.1. b. Activity pattern in street section

4.3. SETTLEMENT LEVEL 4.3.1. POL (INFLUENCE OBTAINED FROM) It is these sectors that the network of pol has developed within the fort walled city of Ahmedabad.

A pol is generally approached from the main road. At its entrance it has a narrow approach through an entrance gate, aligned with the houses opening into an open chowk. In this chowk various activities of the pol is found taking place. It is the heart of any pol. The development of pol took place in certain manner. It gradually changed from time to time. During the time of Maratha period people tried to be safer by making the streets curved to create barrier. In some the chowk is found to be at the end. This was done in order to perform social events by creating visual barrier. Each pol is linked to the neighboring pols via secret pathways which can be confused with houses. These secret passages are hardly even 3 feet wide.

A pol would get organized generally by people of the same social group or community. Thus the city characteristically grew very organically into a dense built fabric reflecting not only the 24

culture of the local people but also the climate it was set in. Pols can be considered as neighborhoods with strong response to the climate of Ahmedabad. Since they have grown up organically they respond to the social and cultural life of the ‘Amdavadies’ and also of their economic conditions.

4.3.2. SETTLEMENT PATTERN BOHRWADS OR VOHRWADS: As the Bohras grew in number, they began to form in each settlement their own distinct neighbourhood called a Bohravad Vohra dwellings are grouped in two distinctly different clustering patterns. Of these two clusters, the earlier one, Nani (small) Vohrwad's growth was adhoc and it has a more organic character with meandering Streets. Voti (large) Vohrwad which came up later Terms properly planned with substreets branching out at perpendicular to the main street.

4.3.3. ORGANIC DEVELOPMENT •

It was observed during the study that the Vohrawads from different settlements fall in two categories based on their physical layout:

•

One, an organic development characteristic of the traditional city pattern and, the other, a gridiron layout based on the right angle geometry.

•

Almost all the Vohrawads which are more than 100 years old, evolved organically within the confines of the available land in the fortified city.

•

In the second half on 19th century, the Britishers consolidated their hold in India and relatively peaceful environment prevailed. The Vohra’s contacts with Britishers, and exposure through travel abroad, must have led to the creation of the second category of Vohrwads.

•

These newer Vohrwads generally occur adjacent to an old Vohrwad on the fringe of the settlements. Not constrained by the shape and size of the land, Vohras could lay out these clusters in a gridiron pattern.

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Figure 4.3.2. a. Nani bohrwad (an organic development)

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Figure 4.3.2 b. Typical cluster of bohrwads (detailed)

The street pattern in a Bohrwad also reflects the standard hierarchical layout of streets in Gujarat An additional service street is created at the back for better circulation of air. The Bohrwad streets, however, stand apart because of a sense of order, extreme cleanliness, well-designed drainage system and the element of visual surprise. In the typical narrow street, screens and wooden shutters in the windows control the façades. The closely packed houses, site constraints and absence of standardized building control result in an organic growth and relatively irregular street pattern The meandering passageway with a pedestrian sense of scale creates a series of vistas as one walks down the street.

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4.3.4. PLANNED DEVELOPMENT

Figure 4.3.4. a. Voti bohrwad (planned development)

Figure 4.3.4. b. community spaces of Bohra community

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The complex comprises MASJID a mosque NAJMI HALL a lecture hall for religious discourses.

JAMATKHANA a hall for community gatherings on social occasions.

MUSAFIRKHANA a travellers lodge.

The local priest house with an administrative office for community institutions.

4.4. BUILT FORM LEVEL 4.4.1. TRADITIONAL DWELLING UNITS OF GUJARAT In all parts of Gujarat, triumphant prototype was adopted. Spatial hierarchy, from open to semi-open to enclose remains the dominant theme. Even the Muslims, Parsis and Bohras who settled in various parts of the state adopted the typology but certain addition and modification where made according to their cultural requirements.

Figure 4.4.1. Basic triumphant prototype

ORDO – Room

PARSAL – Front Hall

OTLO - Verandah

The triple division of the rural dwelling was now complete the Otlo, Parsal and Ordo were its three Spatial components and they followed in sequence. This triple division is characteristic of thousands of dwellings in North Gujarat and the regularity and monotony with which they keep recurring is proof of the strength of the tradition. Once the triple division had been established as a norm, this single model was repeated over such a large geographical area is quite remarkable and

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indicates that its origin lay with a group that had a dominant culture influence which was homogenous and widespread.

4.4.2. THE BOHRA HOUSES

The traditional Bohra house plan was very similar to that of north Gujarat.

Figure 4.4.2. a. Fully developed urban house type

Generally, the Vohras and North Gujarat terms to designate the spaces of their houses i.e., ordo, Parsal and otlo.

The khadki room was called called Deli (from the saurashtrian delo).

Raveshi (the verandah around the chowk) was called Avas.

In Siddhpur due to extra additional spaces extra terms were required, and the sequence was ordo, Parsal, Agali Parsal, Chowk, Deli, Agali deli, Otlo(the term Agali means that which comes before and it shows that the point of reference from which the sequence is reckoned is the ordo).

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Figure 4.4.2. b. Plan and section of Najimuddin Panchmariwala

People walking down the main lane could look into the house through the window and to prevent this, the plinth level of the building was raised.

4.4.3. THREE INTERESTING FEATURES OF BOHRA HOUSE. •

The vertical and horizontal hierarchy of its spaces, going from the most public to the most private enclosures.

•

The enclosed spaces within the house also reflect their efforts to maintain a distinct identity from other religious groups and a sense of seclusion and privacy from outsiders.

•

Many of their houses are built above their shops or in separate Bohrvads, this provides a degree of security against outsiders.

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•

At the same time, these houses do not open directly on the front street, and thereby preclude the possibility of quick access into the houses.

•

It is for this reason that the close relatives are entertained in the first floor ordo (family room).

4.4.4. SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF BOHRA COMMUNITY HOUSES

1. OTLA Contrary to the other communities, the Bohras rarely use the raised, street side portico, which is used extensively by other communities for various activities such as sitting space for elders and play area for children. This could be attributed to the greater confinement of women in the social set up of the Bohras.

2. ANTEROOM Through the main door, one steps into an anteroom, known as 'Delhi' separated by a light screen from the inner court to ensure privacy inside the house. This space usually houses a stair which directly leads to the upper floors. Visitors are directly led up to the formal sitting room on the first floor from here. The anteroom serves as the second buffer zone. Also serves as a brief meeting point between the menfolk and casual visitors. On the ground floor, beyond the anteroom, is the family domain into which only the close relatives and family friends are invited.

It is also used as a shop by the petty trader, and as a place for negotiating business.

3. CHOWK The open to sky court helps ventilate the whole house besides letting in light on all floors. The kitchen and other services are located around the court.(The word 'courtyard is used for an inner space open to the sky, and 'yard' for an open space in front). Many scholars have written about the courtyard being traditional in the Asian or Oriental house, but this is inaccurate for Gujarat. In the Gujarati house the courtyard is not traditional; it appears only in the urban house as a response to an architectural need arising from commercialization. Other scholars maintain that the internal courtyard served to ventilate the inner room. But, in the design of the traditional rural house ventilation was never given any priority. There, security dictated that windows had to be minimal and the inmates lived in ill-ventilated spaces where a single door was the main source of both light and air. The urbanite had similar architectural conceptions. The courtyard which was introduced was not within the house, but between two distinct and separate units; it deliberately emphasized 32

the separateness rather than the unity of the layout. The ventilation which it provided was incidental to its original purpose. This shows how the cultural and social setup overshadows the climatic oriented features in the vernacular architecture of Gujarat.

Two of these rooms in the chowk were used as a kitchen (rasodu) and for water storage (paniaru).

In the traditional rural house the kitchen had been in the ordo and the relative lack of ventilation had made smoke dispersal a serious problem. But by shifting the kitchen to a room adjoining the open chowk, smoke could escape via ventilators into the chowk. This forward positioning of the kitchen became possible only with the introduction of the chowk as a barrier to strangers. The entrance to the kitchen remained from within the parcel so that privacy was maintained the displacement of the kitchen naturally led to a corresponding relocation of the water storage in a room next to it.

4. BAHARNI PARSAL The court as well as the baharni parsal are used for dining and lounging and all domestic activities are also carried out here. Bethak- a large wooden platform with storage underneath and a soft cushion on the top - is the dominant piece of furniture in this space. These spaces actually are the hub of the family world and used throughout the day.

5. ANDARNI PARSAL Andarni parsal, being covered, extends the use in monsoon when the court is unusable. Andarni parsal often has a swing which is popular in hot climates to keep cool. This space is used predominantly as a family lounging space during the hot afternoons.

6. ORDO The house ends in the family's living room ordo, which is richly decorated with seating in traditional style placed on the floor. The cupboard on the extreme rear wall of this room is always designed in Islamic traditions representing the concept of nine squares known as navkhand. Such a cupboard with intricate carvings is an inseparable component of a Dawoodi's house. This space is used to entertain relatives, and family friends and for sleeping.

7. RAVAS The stair is also located in the area around the court. This space is known as ravas.

8. AGASHI On the top floor, the ravas becomes a terrace separating the rooms in the front and at the back. In summer Terrace is used for sleeping in night, while in winters it is occupied only during the day.

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4.4.5. ELEMENTS OF BOHRA COMMUNITY HOUSES In every vernacular tradition, certain elements/objects get developed in the house that are ‘expressive of the users’ cultural attitudes and also communicate symbolic meanings to the onlookers. A lot of variation was perceived in the types of zarookhas (floor projections) that were incorporated as a part of the design of facades in various Bohra housing in Gujarat.

The Bohras developed this element to its full potential. The impact of cultural attitudes is seen in the full enclosure of the balcony in many of the Bohra houses. One hardly sees any person standing in the external zarookha or the balcony and interacting because the Bohra life-style emphasizes privacy, formality and internalization. The enclosed balcony takes the form of a luxurious window-seat referred to earlier in the case of the typical house in Siddhpur.

Figure 4.4.5. a. Plan and section of zarookhas

5.1. MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION 5.1.1. STRUCTURE  Basically a trabeated structural system was used in combination with masonry walls. 

Stone was not available easily expect in Saurashtra. In spite of that, it was used in many houses for plinth and the bases of wooden columns.

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There were three main methods of traditional construction employed in Gujarat: Timber bonding: In this the horizontal timber members were introduced at intervals of about 120cm within the masonry walls at floor or ceiling, lintel and in between levels. Partial framing: In addition to the timber bonding, timber columns were embedded in the walls where a beam was located in order to take the load Full framing: This carried it further by having columns and beams in all short bays regardless of whether the beam was supported by a wall underneath or not. In northern Gujarat, the dominant system is partial framing.

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The construction was standardized but the wooden members are fully ornamented with carvings at the façade level to reduce its bulkiness and to decorate the houses.

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The structural members in the inside of the house were not ornamented.

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The wooden frame structure often had horizontal members at lintel and sill levels.

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Later on, this structural system was replaced by load bearing, cross-wall system of construction where the two parallel walls on the longer side took the weight.

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The spanning of the floor was done in wood through wooden beams, joists and slates.

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In the early 20th century, wooden structural system was replaced by the steel ‘I’ section or the brick jack- arch technique for spanning, and thereafter by RCC and cement.

5.1.2. WOODWORK Being a semi-desert location, Gujarat is a wood-starved region. Wood was imported by the prosperous mercantile community of Gujarat mainly through the sea route from the Malabar Coast in the south and even from Burma. Being a quite successful trading community, could afford such elaborate decor and to define their status symbol in the society. The resultant woodwork is indeed unique in scale and quality.What really determined the size of the house was the dimension of the timber available, for a house Could not be wider than the available beam or purlin which was to span it. Timber sizes depend upon the supply, cart’s capacity to transport them to the site and the economic status of the owners.The average width of the house was about 4.9 m. As noted earlier, the basic space structure of a Bohra house is quite similar to that of the other communities in the region. It is to a large extent the decor that sets them apart from these other houses. The Hindu houses are by and large found to be quite plain in their treatment of facades. Elaborate carpets and rugs are a common feature of Bohra houses and occur rarely in a Hindu house. There is a lot of aesthetic attention paid to the making of the windows, entrance doors, columns, brackets, grills and other elements. In the embellishments they use only non-figural and abstract geometrical patterns as per the Islamic tradition, which rejects animate objects (gods, people, birds and animals) in carving.

5.1.3. CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES 

Brick was used mainly as a load bearing element and as in-fill and wood as reinforcement to brick. This use helped reduce the thickness of walls.

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Stone and brick was used for foundations that often were made with arches.

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Wood was not abundantly available locally in Gujarat, it was extensively used in the 18th and 19th centuries and was exported mostly from Burma and the Malabar coast.

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The masonry was plastered with lime plaster.

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The most common technique of flooring was to lay bricks on wooden planks with the help of lime mortar and then to do an IPS flooring.

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In larger houses, the long wall had either brick or wooden columns attached to it at intervals where the heavy bean met the walls.

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Teak was preferred material in Gujarat used for doors and windows.

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The elements such as columns, column capital and brackets were well developed and were profusely ornamented.

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The wooden pitched roofs with tiles are able to provide thermal insulation to the spaces and reduce the transmission of heat.

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The ornamental ceilings were made out of wood or Plaster of Paris.

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CHAPTER: 5 INFERENCE

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6. INFERENCE Most of the houses shared a wall with the houses on either side giving a feeling of connectedness and is prevents the longer side of the dwellings from direct sun exposure. Thus the same composition transformed into a much crafted and sophisticated urban row house dwelling.The organic development Bohrwads were cul-de-sacs to ensure a high degree of privacy and security to the families since no stranger can enter without at once being observed. The form and arrangement of dwellings are constrained by the availability of local materials, the nature of the local climate and the socio economic facts of life.The advantages of the cul-de-sac over the through street are that they are quieter and safer for children; they provide the potential for more neighbourly interaction; there is a greater sense of privacy; residents have a greater ability to distinguish neighbours from strangers; and there are generally lower burglary rates.The The Bohrwad streets stand apart because of a sense of order, extreme cleanliness, well-designed drainage system and the element of visual surprise. These neighborhoods have a structural unity and give a general impression of relative orderliness and homogeneity. It is a well-knit and densely urban.

Generally, the funnel effect describes the phenomenon where winds will tend to increase in speed as they squeeze through narrow valleys and it can be explained by Bernoulli's theorem.

Figure 6. Wind funnel effect (Bernoulli's theorem) 38

With an intention of broadening the narrow winding lanes of old Indian cities, that are ‘unhygienic’ and need ‘light and ventilation’. While the administrative undertones are very clear, these ideas also show that British town planners had no idea about the unique conception and planning principles; where the predominantly hot and dry climate (particularly in North India),was controlled through the combination of narrow lanes and open courtyard systems which created a unique micro climate cooling the entire habitation. The impact of these new planning has been tragic with great loss of traditional character in a city. Vernacular architecture of Gujarat is the best example of compact planning, low rise and high density housing.

That Vohras, in their search for a separate identity, judiciously utilized elements of European architecture via the British influence. However, the influences have only been skin deep. No radical changes took place in the Vohra's social values and religious beliefs and, this is reflected in their habitat which basically remains very much the same as the Hindu one of their origin, reflecting the strong adherence to their traditional way of life and thought. Even when opportunities were available, there is no effort at evolving a more sophisticated plan in spite of its larger width and location facilitating three open sides. As a result even such a large house becomes 'twice' the traditional house. It appears that the strong colonial influence is only manifested in the decor of the interiors and the furniture for identity purpose. A traditional Bohra house, seen in its cultural and spatial context, creates a sense of place in a distinct domestic setting. In every vernacular tradition, certain elements/objects get developed in the house that are expressive of the users' cultural attitudes and also communicate symbolic meanings to the observers. A lot of variation was occur through subtle interventions due to the required changes in the cultural use of domestic space. It is noteworthy that in spite of the limitations of the shared-parallel-walls typology, a considerable degree of flexibility has been achieved in the spatial layout in response to sub-cultural or climatic variations.

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CHAPTER: 6 CONCLUSION

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7. CONCLUSION The socio-cultural and political factors are major influencing factors on the settlement and dwellings of Bohra community, although climate is a secondary influence. Apart from the direct influence of climate, there is the indirect influence in terms of local building materials like wood.

There is a distinct segregation of areas for the women. This is due to the socio political factors such as culture and lifestyle of the owners. These factors have influenced the orientation and the overall layout plan. To a modern observer, the material world, can have enormous effect because everything in has a purpose and because of its aesthetic qualities emerge specific forms out of the serious business of living. Today more and more architects are turning to traditional architecture for inspiration because it is recognized that these structures obviously satisfied their communities psychological needs far better than most modern settlements do. These house forms depict our rich culture and heritage and need to be conserved for our future generations. Adaptive reuse of these heritage buildings will ensure the conservation of heritage and culture of the place

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REFERENCES SOURCES & COLLECTION OF DATA: 

Haveli-Wooden houses and mansions of Gujarat.

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House Form and Culture by: Amos Rapoport.

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Culture architecture and design by: Amos Rapaport.

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Cultural influences on architecture by: Stephen f. Kenney, b.s

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