Hello Local Guides,
I am back with another interesting travel story of mine. I am an Architect and Professor at an Architectural School in India. I visited this town as a part of my research and was simply amazed with its history and beautiful mansions.
Sidhpur is a town in Gujarat which is located on the banks of Saraswati River. It is an important pilgrimage centre for Shaivism and for Hindu devotees honoring maternal ancestors.
I will briefly take you through its streets and houses which feels like some movie set. Najampura is a locality in Sidhpur which have well developed grid-iron pattern and it took shape in early 19th century. These localities are known as ‘Vohrawads’. There are no gated enclaves. The streets are wider and opened up into cul-de-sac. and accommodated vehicular access.
The streets were used as a structuring device in the settlement pattern. There is uniformity and harmony through the additive nature of houses. Vibrancy as a result of variations in colour, elements, fenestrations and ornamentation of facades gave a sense of order, scale and visual surprise.
Houses were mostly massive Mansions. These were known as the Bohra Houses which are almost a century old now. They are grand, empty and hence mysterious since not many know about them. They are like a theater set whose artists have vacated them!
Bohra Houses, the gorgeous European-influenced, especially Renaissance styled architecture built over a century ago in the Muslim neighbourhood are major attractions of Sidhpur.
There is a special significance attached due to the Bohras urge for display and decoration. It is considered as an expression of social status and an extension of their religious belief.
They practice personalization through intricate detailing, decorative elements, rich carpets, furnishings and display objects. The strife for an inner beauty through the house - the dwelling: a product of the Indo-Islamic/Gujarati tradition.
Let’s go in the inside of one these house…
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Since it’s occupants don’t reside here anymore due to migration to other cities for better prospects, these mansions are not properly taken care of. There is an urgent need to preserve these houses from getting demolished or deteriorate.
There is a ray of hope that it’s importance is soon recognized and government take measures to protect these valuable assets with strict laws.
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