A ''jali'' or ''jaali'' (''jālī'', meaning "net") is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern constructed through the use of

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

geometry Geometry (; ) is a branch of mathematics concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. Geometry is, along with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. A mathematician w ...

or natural patterns. This form of architectural decoration is common in Indo-Islamic architecture and more generally in

Indian architecture Indian architecture is rooted in the History of India, history, Culture of India, culture, and Indian religions, religion of India. Among several architectural styles and traditions, the best-known include the many varieties of Hindu temple a ...

. It is closely related to ''

mashrabiya A ''mashrabiya'' or ''mashrabiyya'' () is an architectural element which is characteristic of traditional Islamic architecture, architecture in the Islamic world and beyond. It is a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latti ...

'' in Islamic architecture. According to Yatin Pandya, the ''jali'' allows light and air in while minimizing the sun and the rain, as well as providing cooling through passive ventilation. The holes are nearly the same width or smaller than the thickness of the stone, thus providing structural strength. It has been observed that humid areas like

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

and

Konkan The Konkan is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, bound by the river Daman Ganga at Damaon in the north, to Anjediva Island next to Karwar town in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau to the eas ...

have larger holes with overall lower opacity than compared with the dry climate regions of

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, 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 List of states and union territories ...

and

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

With the widespread use of glass in the late 19th century, and compactness of the residential areas in modern India, ''jalis'' became less frequent for privacy and security matters. In the 21st century, it has gained popularity again as a low-energy building solution for the environmental footprint of energy use by buildings.

History

The earliest sanctuaries in India, dedicated to

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion whose three main pillars are nonviolence (), asceticism (), and a rejection of all simplistic and one-sided views of truth and reality (). Jainism traces its s ...

and

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

, were often dimly lit and confined, resembling natural

cave Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...

s. Worshippers gathered in front of the sanctuaries' doorways for prayers and offerings. To control the harsh daylight entering the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

s, screens known as ''jalis'' were used to filter and soften the light, encouraging devotion and directing attention to the sacred images. The tradition of using jalis persisted in later

, including Hindu and Jain temples. Over time, the designs of ''jalis'' evolved, incorporating geometric and naturalistic patterns. With the advent of

Islamic architecture Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both Secularity, secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Muslim world, Islamic world encompasse ...

, the use of ''jalis'' expanded and became a prominent feature in

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

s and tombs, following the same symbolic importance of light in

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. The adoption of ''jalis'' in Islamic buildings shows a fusion of architectural styles and motifs from Hindu, Jain, and Islamic traditions, largely influenced by the guilds of masons working for patrons across different cultural backgrounds. Early ''jali'' work with multiple geometric shapes was built by carving into stone, in geometric patterns (first appearing in the Alai Darwaza of 1305 at Delhi besides the Qutub Minar); later on, the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of pre ...

used very finely carved plant-based designs (as at the

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...

). They also often added pietra dura inlay to the surrounds using marble and

semi-precious A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. Certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, ...

stones. In the Gwalior Fort near the Urwahi gate, there is a 17-line inscription dated Samvat 1553 mentioning names of some craftsmen and their creations. One of them is Khedu, who was an expert in ''Gwaliyai jhilmili'' (''jali'' screens crafted in the Gwalior style). The Mughal period tomb of Muhammad Ghaus, built in 1565 AD at Gwalior, is remarkable for its stone ''jalis''. Many of Gwalior's 19th-century houses used stone ''jalis''. ''Jalis'' are used extensively in Gwalior's Usha Kiran Palace Hotel, formerly Scindia's guest house.

Museum collections

Some of the ''jalis'' are in major museums in the U.S. and Europe. These include the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

and the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

.Drawing ca.1882 (made)
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Illustrations

File:Window at Alai Darwaza, Qutb complex.jpg, Window at Alai Darwaza, Qutb complex File:Sidi Saiyyad Ni Jaali.jpg, ''Jali'' in Sidi Saiyyed mosque in

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ), also spelled Amdavad (), is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 ...

, exhibiting the traditional Indian tree of life motif File:Salim Chishti Tomb-2.jpg, ''Jali'' at Tomb of Salim Chishti in

Fatehpur Sikri Fatehpur Sikri () is a town in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Situated from the district headquarters of Agra, Fatehpur Sikri itself was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571 by Mughal emperors, Emperor Akbar, servin ...

, showing Islamic geometric patterns developed in Western Asia File:Taj Inside 1.jpg, Details of marble ''jali'' screens around royal

cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty grave, tomb or a monument erected in honor of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere or have been lost. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although t ...

File:Bibi-Ka-Maqbara- net.jpg, ''Jali'' at

Bibi Ka Maqbara The Bibi Ka Maqbara (English: "Tomb of the Lady") is a tomb located in the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was commissioned in 1660 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's son, Prince Azam Shah, in the memory of his mother ...

in Aurangabad, with typical Indian motifs File:Doors Champaner-Pavagadh.jpg, ''Jali'' at Champaner, utilizing traditional Indian geometric patterns and Islamic geometry File:Mohammad Gaus Tomb Gwalior - panoramio.jpg, ''Jalis'' in Mohammad Gaus Tomb in

Gwalior Gwalior (Hindi: , ) is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; It is known as the Music City of India having oldest Gwalior gharana, musical gharana in existence. It is a major sports, cultural, industrial, and political c ...

File:P 306--Winter India.jpg, 19th-century house in Gwalior, using stone ''jalis''

References

Sources

External links