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,

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

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 its history, culture and religion. Among a number of architectural styles and traditions, the best-known include the many varieties of Hindu temple architecture, Indo-Islamic architecture, especially Mughal ...

. It is closely related to ''

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

'' in Islamic architecture. According to Yatin Pandya, the ''jali'' allows light and air while minimizing the sun and the rain, as well as providing cooling through

passive ventilation Passive ventilation is the process of supplying air to and removing air from an indoor space without using mechanical systems. It refers to the flow of external air to an indoor space as a result of pressure differences arising from natural force ...

.> The holes are often nearly of 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 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 regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...

and

Konkan The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterla ...

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

and

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 ...

. With the widespread use of glass in the late 19th century, and compactness of the residential areas in the 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 A low-energy house is characterized by an energy-efficient design and technical features which enable it to provide high living standards and comfort with low energy consumption and carbon emissions. Traditional heating and active cooling systems ...

solution for the environmental footprint of energy use by buildings.

History

Early ''jali'' work with multiple geometric shapes was built by carving into stone, in

geometric patterns A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...

, first appearing in the Alai Darwaza of 1305 at Delhi besides the Qutub Minar, while later the

Mughals The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...

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

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mu ...

. They also often added pietra dura inlay to the surrounds, using marble and semi-precious 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" i.e. jali screen 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 the Gwalior's 19th century houses used stone jalis. Jalis are used extensively in Gwalior's

Usha Kiran Palace Usha Kiran Palace is a heritage hotel, adjacent to Jai Vilas Mahal on a 9-acre land in Gwalior built by the royal Scindia dynasty of the Marathas. The management of the five-star hotel is done by Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces. The hotel makes ...

Hotel, formerly Scindia's guest house.

Museum collections

Some of the jalis are in major museums in USA and Europe. These include Indianapolis Museum of Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art and Victoria and Albert Museum.Drawing ca.1882 (made)
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Illustrations

File:Nachna Parvati-Tempel Jali 1999.JPG, Nachna Parvati-Temple Jali, Gupta period File:Pattadakal 19.jpg, Pattadakal window File:Pattadakal 16.jpg, Another window at Pattadakal File:Pattadakal Virupaksa. Mandapa north wall, east side. Right window.JPG, Pattadakal Virupaksa temple window File:Jala stone trellis windows Indian architecture.jpg,

Chola The Chola dynasty was a Tamil thalassocratic empire of southern India and one of the longest-ruling dynasties in the history of the world. The earliest datable references to the Chola are from inscriptions dated to the 3rd century B ...

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

Fatehpur Sikri Fatehpur Sikri () is a town in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh, India. Situated 35.7 kilometres from the district headquarters of Agra, Fatehpur Sikri itself was founded as the capital of Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar, serving thi ...

shows 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 tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...

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

Aurangabad Aurangabad ( is a city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarters of Aurangabad district and is the largest city in the Marathwada region. Located on a hilly upland terrain in the Deccan Traps, Aurangabad is the ...

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

Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the ...

. File:P 306--Winter India.jpg, 19th century houses in Gwalior.

References

Sources

External links