Artistic podiums of Haryanvi havelis
Architecture
By Ranbir Singh

BEYOND the architectural beauty of a traditional north Indian haveli, EYOND the architectural beauty of a traditional there are many individual aspects of its conservation that need to be observed. A meticulous observer discovers that our desi designers did some thought-provoking work while fine-tuning the structures of the gates of document and classify gate structures of havelis. Trying to traditional Haryanvi havelis, one discovers that not only are there variations in the layout, design and workmanship but also an amazing array of subjects is touched upon.

Take, for instance, the chauntary or a podium. The need to create a pair of podiums at an appropriate place under the vault of an arched gateway was initially a structural requirement. A pair of pillars was needed to bear the burden of the heavy material and diffuse pressure on the ground, both vertically and horizontally. The device worked, and, it became an essential feature of the layout of havelis. To understand the role of podiums vis-a-vis the structure, one needs to actually see the structure of an arched gate of a haveli built on traditional principles.

Havelis have always imparted a medieval character and an aesthetically pleasing looks to our alleys. Let us look deep at the characteristics relating to folk art and aesthetics as far as these havelis are concerned.

Podiums were found on buildings used for residential, defence, religious and court functions. These indicated the social status of the owner of the building.

At places, one can see podiums of various forms measuring less than two feet in length to eight feet, horizontally. In the local dialect, a podium is called a chauntary. Bigger chauntaries were added only under a huge arch. A chauntary has several parts and features. The top slab or sheersha shila was always kept smooth on the top but its width was equal to four fingers. This slab was corniced beautifully only on the vaultside and face side. It was firmly embedded and rectangularly placed on a brick platform usually two to three feet high which was hidden underneath. Since construction progresses from bottom to top, the layout required meticulous workmanship at several stages. From the bottom to the top of a chauntary at least four slabs, three horizontal and two vertical, were fixed by masons. Sometimes four, but mostly two, frontal pillar posts to cover corners were required to be fixed. These pillar posts or corner filler stumps were not merely crude stones but figures of dwarpala, i.e. a gate guard and dancing fairies were carved on them. These can be seen on two havelis; one at village Kharak Kalan and another at the ancient town of Meham in Haryana. In Haryana, also elsewhere, names were given to the parts and panels of a chauntary. The form of a chauntary is suggestive of a seat but only when its size is small. An increase in its size would change it from a chauntary to a baranza i.e., a little verandah, in case it has more than one shoulder pillar at the corner to support the lower end of the vault. Double vaulted, high rise main gates have these baranzas.

At Jhajjar town, under the vault of a century old haveli, there is a double chauntary, i.e., a piggyback podium which was perhaps a new experiment to retain the symmetry of the level within the arch.

Different forms of figurative art depict images as diverse as milking of a buffalo, a mounted warrior on a steed, young women on a swing, an elephant carrying a royal head in a sedan on its back, the symbol of Om, a tantrik depiction of Brahma, dancing peacock, flowers and flower vases, parrots on twigs with flowers, wrestlers in action, demi-gods and even the Sun God. This symbolic and figurative art was purposeful. In India, the elephant is both a symbol of wealth and power; a peacock is revered for its grace and beauty, parrots are supposed to be auspicious and are patronised for their intelligence, and Hanuman, the monkey god, is revered for his exceptional strength and loyalty among the Jats of Haryana. These figures constantly remind people of their rich cultural heritage.

People who patronised such art were indirectly also promoting art in stone, chiselled brickwork and figures in choona i.e., lime mortar. The shilawats, or stone carvers, who mostly inhabited stone markets in cities like Rohtak, Bhiwani, Bahadurgarh, Sonepat and Rewari were the real creators of this art. Large blocks of buff sandstone were regularly brought from quarries in Rajasthan. These were then cut into smaller pieces and chiselled to give a shape. The shilawats then chiselled figures on these. It is evident that they only carved figures of auspicious animals, birds and human figures. They also, in order to break the monotony of chiselling, expressed themselves artistically. This creativity never dried up.

These shilawats were held in esteem by their contemporaries. Such artisans are rarely found these days and their work is almost defunct.

It is regrettable that this art form not only declined in the 1950s due to change in building styles but what little is left of it is decaying fast due to the negligence of the owners of the havelis. In the older times, the people had felt the need to order masons to create ornate chauntaries but now this Indian art form has given way to western designs of gate structures, largely made of wrought iron or brass.