Traditional Bohra Dwellings of Gujarat:

Architectural Response to Cultural Ethos

This book explores the Bohra house form and domestic environment as
architectural manifestations of culture. 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. It
aims to identify and analyze some of the social and cultural factors that have a
critical influence on the structuring of the dwelling unit, with a brief look at the
process of transformation as the traditional dwelling began to be replaced by the
then popular bungalow typology from 1920s onwards. The specific objectives
include relating architectural articulation and stylization with the worldview and
the socio-cultural/religious patterns of the users, certain significant aspects such
as space usage, response to climate, building materials and construction,
illustrating special architectural elements and features which have evolved from
social attitudes, climatic forces and aesthetic preoccupations.
The houses in a Bohrwad are typically grouped around a street and these form a
mohalla ; several mohallas form a Bohrwad. Besides the houses, a large Bohrwad
generally contains a mosque, a Madressa, a Jamat Khana, and other buildings for
collective functions. In the Bohrwads, the neighborhood mosque is the most
important institution as the central public space for religious rituals. 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.
A traditional Bohra house can almost be considered a metaphor for the social
system. Gender is important as an organizing theme in dwelling layouts and use
of spaces, as is religion that provides a civic code, influencing social behavior
and interactions. Certain concepts like clear separation between the public and
private, the necessity for an in-between zone at the entrance level, the
male/female divide, seclusion of women, the intense need for privacy, etc. have
brought about specific devices and spatial configurations that reflect the tenets
of the religion. The houses have a deep plan-having a sequence of otla (entrance
platform), deli (arrival space), avas (courtyard), parsalli and the ordo (room). The
upper floors mainly house the bedrooms and the agashi (terrace).
The Bohras have adopted the regional tradition of Gujarat of making facades
with intricate details in wood. Built by craftsmen, they reveal their
comprehensive understanding of the elements of design, the nature of the
building materials and versatility of craftsmanship. 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 in carving. Another element developed to its full potential is the
zarookha, with much variation found in its types. The impact of cultural attitudes
is seen in the full enclosure of the balcony in many of the Bohra houses. These
habitations represent a living tradition of Gujarat. If the Bohras are encouraged
by a strategy for conserving entire Bohrwads, it will help continue the

momentum of cultural preservation in order that some of the best historic

examples of regional domestic architecture in Gujarat are not lost.

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