'Pols' have much to teach new Ahmedabad

Architecture is not only about  palaces, temples and forts built by the kings. The buildings used by the common man for living are very much a part of architecture. Residential precincts, known as pols, are a typical typology of houses in various towns of Gujarat. There are literally ensembles of this so-called vernacular architecture in the old town of Ahmedabad, on the east side of the river Sabarmati.

The Gujarati word "pol" seems to have been derived from the Sanskrit word "pratoli" and the Prakrit word "poli". Typically, a pol has one entrance and homogeneous groups of people live in it. Reflecting the rich cultural ethos of Gujarat, pols have their geographical origins in the north of Gujarat. Known as "padas" in the north Gujarat towns like Patan, pols are a key to the understanding of what is called the settlement pattern of Gujarat.

Originally, people of the same caste or social group would live together in a "khadki" and a group of "khadkis" would make a pol. These pols are found in all major medieval towns of Gujarat like Nadiad, Vadodara, Khambhat and Patan among many. During the Muslim period, the residential areas meant for the high officials of Ahmedabad were called "puras". Each pura would have many pols lived in by people who were attracted by the opportunities that the city had to offer.

During the British period, the Ahmedabad Gazetteer had noted in 1879 that "formerly no man could sell or mortgage a house to an outsider without first offering it to the people of the pol. Again, on wedding and other great family occasions, each household is expected to feast the whole pol, and in some cases all the men of the pol are expected to attend any funeral that may take place. If the pol rules are slighted, the offender is fined."

There are about 360 pols in the old city of Ahmedabad alone. Many of these pols have colourful names, reflecting the richness of Gujarati language. These densely packed clusters of rows upon rows of houses, joined by labyrinthine streets are where thousands of years old Indian architectural traditions continue to live. These pols are an exuberant riot of beautiful wooden facades, lovely wooden brackets, lovingly carved fenestrated windows, magical balconies,otlas, chabutaras (bird feeders), khadkis and chowks.

Time has bestowed beauty to this pol architecture of Gujarat, making it an ornament of world architecture. The 21st century, the century of urbanisation, aims to achieve the goal of harmonious cities by focusing on developing harmonious relations between the spatial, the social and the environmental aspects of the cities.

But the sustainability of these emerging cities will depend on how equitable they are to their citizens.

In this, the rapidly developing new Ahmedabad has a lot to learn from the heritage of the walled town.