ALSphere Foundation
As I close my eyes, I dredge up a memory from the deep recesses of my mind. The aroma of fresh fafda and jalebi fills the air. My feet are pounding the dusty pavement, as we enter an era from the bygone days. The Pols of Ahmedabad! Pols (derived from the Sanskrit word Pratoli) came up during the Mughal- Maratha rule in Ahmedabad. These gated communities of large interlinked homes were a result of those disturbed times. Largely based on religion, caste or occupation, they were self-sufficient so that no one had to venture out when there was tension in the city.
The ‘Mandir to Masjid’ heritage walk took us through these meandering lanes of the Pols. We pass the Kavi Dalpatram Chowk, named after the renowned Gujarati poet, Dalpatram Dahyabhai (1820-1898). There’s a beautiful bronze statue in his honor. Every Pol we see has a Chabutaro, a brightly painted, intricately designed structure to feed birds. It was meant to compensate for the trees cut during the construction of the Pols. Every home has extra steps outside, meant to provide shelter to animals during rains.
As we walk down these labyrinthine streets, I’m mesmerized by the intricately carved wooden facades, brackets, windows, and balconies. One can see glimpses of colonial, Gujarati, Maratha, Persian, and Jain influences in their architecture.
Each Pol has it own unique identity and their names like ‘Kuwalo Khancho ‘, ‘Zaveri Vad’, ‘Chaumukhji ni pol’, ‘Mahurat pol’ and so on, lend further character to these dwellings. These homes, which share common walls, speak of an era when there was more focus on community-dwelling than privacy, especially in troubled times. These bygone days make me reflect on the importance of communal living, in the midst of a socially isolating pandemic.
