Artistic eaves and decorative doors lined the way from the Pol gate right to its central chowk — conspicuous with its community well. My eyes fell on a play of colours next to the elegantly carved Chabutro. Tracing it to its source, I took in the stained glass windows of one of the Pol homes. Competing with these vibrant fenestras were the aesthetic brackets and balcony railings of its neighbouring mansion.
In front of me, a blue Dela creaked open to let out a little girl with a bowl of grains. She promptly emptied the contents into the chowk, causing scores of pigeons to descend down from their perch. A lone cow mooed in protest to this sudden disturbance while hidden parrots squawked their dissonance from the holes on the very walls that they shared with the humans of the Pols. Oblivious of this chaos, the women sitting around the chowk stayed engrossed in daily banter — all the while performing their conventional chores. This was all a part of their normal day but for me, the bustling scene whispered a tale of living heritage called Pols.
Shantinath ni Pol with its Chabutro
The Pols of Ahmedabad are best explained as traditional housing societies that came into existence in the 1700s. Each one comprised of homogeneous households united either by religion, caste or occupation. A large gate (Pratoli) enclosed a labyrinth of sheris with a compact layout of individual homes. These densely packed clusters survive to date with many of the ancestral families still living there. They have now been recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
A self-sufficient microcosm
It was the frequent communal clashes during the Maratha–Mughal era of Ahmedabad that necessitated the building of fortress-like settlements bounded by a gate. Manned by a sentinel, the enclosed cluster had all it needed to survive if it got cut off. Carefully harvested rainwater stored in individual tanks and the central community well took care of their water. The seamless network of buildings and interconnected terraces made it easy to pass on messages. Secret doorways provided a safe passage for escape in emergencies.
Kalupur Swaminarayan temple
An exclusive temple of faith served their religious needs. Built with collective funds, these places of worship are an icon of ethereal craftmanship. Be it the Jain Ashtapadji Deraser with its captivating pillars and ceilings or the Kalupur Swaminarayan Mandir with its vibrant Burma wood arches and cornices — each one is a landmark in itself.
A name that reflects its personality
Haja Patel Ni Pol, Kothari Ni Pol, Mehta Ni Pol … there are over 300 Pols across Ahmedabad. A majority of these have been named after individuals whose identity has long faded to obscurity. “The Pols were possibly named after the headman or the community elder who set it up. No one remembers how the names came about — after all, some of the Pols are over 600 years old,” explains Kishore Bhai, a proud resident of Ahmedabad. Many of the Pols immortalised the traditional occupation of the resident community. Zaverivad sheltered the jewellers while Sutaria ni Pol belonged to the society of carpenters. A few even gave away their unique location like the vibrant Kuvawalo Khancho, a Pol located in the street next to a well (Kuvo in Gujarati). “There are a few quirky names like Khiskoli ni Pol — called so owing to the squirrels (khiskoli) that populate it,” adds Kishore Bhai.
Dela
It isn’t unusual to see such obvious differences between the neighbouring Havelis in a Pol. The designs vary with the social standing. The affluent families are easily identifiable by their charismatic facades or the large entrance gates called the Delas that lead to an inner courtyard surrounded by rooms. However, there is no segregation in their location within the Pol. Finding a grand haveli squeezed between two regular homes is a pretty common sight. The packed layout of these clusters not only helped insulate the dwellings from natural calamities like earthquakes but bridged a possible societal gap. In fact, the shared walls along with the quintessential Otla helped permeate an evident atmosphere of warmth throughout the Pol.