Learn about the Indo-Islamic architecture in India with the help of this new glossary

The chhajjas and jaalis at Ibrahim Rauza tomb in Bijapur

There are certain universal features, but also many local features. A need [for a glossary] was expressed by many academics, and students of archaeology, art history, and architecture," shares Dr Smita Dalvi, who along with Dr Mustansir Dalvi have created an exhaustive glossary published by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS).

Shah Faisal, Smita Dalvi, and Mustansir Dalvi at Bijapur

It acts as a ‘guide to reading a building' through its definitions aided by visual illustrations by architect Shah Faisal. The authors decode the character and historicity of Indian Islamic architecture with a few key insights.

Before the Mughals

The tendency to equate Mughal Empire as a shorthand for all Islamic architecture in India is incorrect. By the time the Mughals arrived in India, the Gujarat, Mandu, and Delhi Sultanate, for instance, predated them. This had already established a long tradition of Indo-Islamic buildings in the regions.

Diverse forms and styles

It is not a homogeneous, singular style. By nature, it is syncretic and diverse and combines existing Indic building elements like column-beam construction, use of chhatri, chhajja, and jaali etc, along with Persianate elements like arches and domes.

Love for ornamentation

The tendency to ornament art, including buildings, is a feature visible across Islamic cultures. However, in the Indian Subcontinent, there are a plethora of motifs and techniques that vary in style and material.

Local influences

The influences are regional and trans regional due to varying geography, climate, and local building traditions. Mosques in Kerala were built in timber like domestic architecture, while the sites in Bengal used bricks and terracotta.

Coastal humility

Haji Ali Dargah. File pic/Ashish Raje

When building projects are commissioned by kings, and emperors, they assume monumental forms. Along the coasts of Malabar, Konkan, and Mumbai, community-built architecture prevail. In Mumbai, there are a number of dargahs to honour Sufi saints and teachers. The Haji Ali Dargah, for instance, began as a humble structure, and later on took on a more prominent form.

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