
Chabutro, also spelled as chabutaro or chabutra, is a structure found mostly in
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
. They are a tower-like structure with pentagonal- or octagonal-shaped enclosures at the top. In the upper enclosure are several holes, where birds can make their nests. In Gujarat, chubatros are constructed at the entrances villages, especially for the use and breeding of
pigeon
Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...
s; similar monuments are found in village centers or at village entrances in the
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...
&
Kutch. At the base of the structure a sitting platform is usually made, with the surrounding area of this structure serves as a gathering place for villagers and as a playing area for children.
Another type of chabutro, found in Gujarat & Rajasthan, have a different design and are built only to feed and let birds rest, but not intended for breeding purposes. The upper enclosure of such chabutras are artistically carved and designed like a window found on domes, called
Chhatri
''Chhatri'' are elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in Indo-Islamic architecture and Indian architecture. Originating as a canopy above tombs, they serve as decorative elements. The earliest example of chhatri being used in t ...
.
'Chabutro' vaguely translates to "pigeon tower" or "Pigeon hole tower", deriving from the Gujarati word for pigeon, ''kabutar''. as these buildings are constructed for the use and breeding of pigeons. People, especially ladies of Gujarat, belonging to
Hindu faith, consider it auspicious to feed pigeons; therefore, this structure is made in villages, where pigeons can live.
[ In the early morning, adults and children will feed the pigeons below the chabutro. The Chabutaro is, therefore, usually found in villages dominated or established by Hindu, ]Kshatriya
Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the co ...
& Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests ( purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers ( ...
communities of Gujarat.
In the Kutch district of Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the nin ...
, chabutros can be found in almost all villages among the Mistris
Kutch Gurjar Kshatriya (also known as Mistri or Mestri) are a minority Hindu and one of the Socially and Educationally Backward communities of Gujarat in India, who claim to be Kshatriyas. They are an artisan community related with Kadia wo ...
, a Hindu & Kshatriya
Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the co ...
clan, who were themselves master-craftsman and specialized in their construction. The chabutro at Sinugra
Sinugra (also spelled Shinoogra / Sinogra / Sinougra) is a village 7 km from the town of Anjar, in the Anjar taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat.
History
The village is one of the eighteen villages founded by Mistris ...
, in Kutch, the image is shown here. Also small chabutra in the temple premises are found in their villages.[Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas : A brief History & Glory : by Raja Pawan Jethwa. (2007) Calcutta. Section:(I) KGK and Architect built by them mainly in Princely State of Cutch.]
A famous example of chabutros found outside Gujarat is just outside Raigarh
Raigarh is a city in Eastern Chhattisgarh.
History
The tradition preserved by the ruling family of the erstwhile state of Raigarh maintains that the Raj Gond family migrated to this region from Bairagarh/Wariagarh of Chanda district of Mahara ...
Railway Station in Chhattisgarh, large and white. Its erection was in 1900 by Shyamji Gangji Sawaria, a famous railway contractor & entrepreneur of Raigarh, founder of Shyam Talkies, from the Mistri
Mistri, or Mistry, is a term for a master-craftsman, foreman or supervisor of manual workers in India. Mistri is being replaced with "supervisor" and other terms, as for example by the Indian Railway who replaced it with supervisor in 2005.
The w ...
community of Kumbharia Several places are named Kumbhariya or Kumbharia in Gujarat, India.
* Kumbhariya, Surat district, a village
* Kumbharia, Kutch District, Gujarat a village near Anjar
* Kumbhariya, Banaskantha district
Kumbhariya is a village of historical, ar ...
, Kutch.[
Chabutros can also be seen in ]Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
and Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital city, capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar, and Rewa, India, Rewa being the othe ...
, but are known as ''chabutra'', in Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of North India, northern, Central India, centr ...
(coming from 'kubatar', the Hindi term for "pigeon"). Here, they are normally found within palaces or temples, though are meant for birds in general.
Both chabutra (chabutara) and chabutro are used occasionally to also indicate a sitting platform, usually under a tree or beside any body of water like lake or pond, especially in North India.
See also
*Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot , doocot (Scots Language, Scots) or columbarium is a structure intended to house Domestic pigeon, pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be free-standing structures in a variety of shapes, or built into the end of a house or ba ...
References
External links
Chabutro - Ahmedabad
{{Commons category, Chabutra
Buildings and structures in Gujarat
Architecture in India
Architectural elements