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Of Gujarat
In the urban landscape of India, one of the most
visually appealing spaces is the walled city of
Ahmedabad, known for its intricately carved wooden
architecture and the neighbourhood settlements
of pols.
Pols are enclosed residential clusters entered by
gates, which used to be shut at nights.
The essence of a pol is a network of small streets,
side lanes, shrines and open community spaces with
a chabutaro, a birdhouse raised on a pole to feed
birds in the neighbourhood.
The word pol is derived from the Sanskrit word
pratoli meaning entrance to an enclosed area.
Pols were originally made as a protection
measure when communal riots necessitated
greater security.
Street view of a Pol
Pol Houses of Ahmedabad
THE ORIGIN OF POL SETTLEMENT PATTERN
The pol settlement pattern has a rural origin One enclosing wall is simultaneously
prevalent in the villages of North Gujarat. It the rear wall of a house. With the ends
is also called khadki type of settlement. enclosed off, the settlement forms a
Each house is joined to the next by a closed unit guarded by a single
common party wall and many such houses gateway used by a large number of
form a row opposite it and two rows thus families. The gateway is known as
enclose a space in front, which resembles a khadki.
street but which is, in fact, a common yard. All the families of a khadki are blood
In order to ensure privacy and security, the relations or belong to the same caste.
ends of the common yard are closed off by a Every village has a number of such
wall on one side and a gateway on the other. khadkis belonging to different castes
The rear walls of all the houses which are In cities, khadkis belonging to different
exceptionally thick and have no windows, castes may adjoin each other and may
form a continuous line. all open into a common street, closed
at either end with gates. The city
khadkis are called pols.
Pol Houses of Ahmedabad
Faade of Pol house
Street view of a Pol
Pol housing