Jharokha

Gyaraspur - Maladevi Temple (around 875 AD)

As Jharokha ( Hindi : झरेखा Jharokha , eingedeutscht also Jaroka ) are in the Indian architecture covered balconies or balcony with bay windows referred. These can be made of wood (residential buildings) or stone (temples, palaces, gateways); In residential and palace buildings, the actual balcony opening is often barred by Jalis or Maschrabiyyas to protect against prying eyes .

history

Buddhism

Stone parapets ( vedikas ) already appear on the vestibules ( mandapas ) of early Buddhist cave sanctuaries, which are often elevated and open to the facade ; these vestibules were often roofed over by ledges ( Kanheri caves near Mumbai , Maharashtra ).

Hinduism

Early Indian wooden buildings have not been preserved and so the oldest jharokhas appear in the form of Hindu temples made of stone , with the early free-standing Indian temples ( Gupta temple ; Talagunda ; Amrol ) consisting only of a cella ( garbhagriha ) and a vestibule Not yet familiar with architectural elements. These only arise with the development of a way of dealing with the temple ( pradakshinapatha ). The earliest temples with balcony parapets include the Kalika Mata Temple in the Fort of Chittaur , Rajasthan, or the Lad Khan Temple in Aihole , Karnataka - both date from around 700 AD at the late Pratihara temples (e.g. at the Maladevi temple in Gyaraspur , Madhya Pradesh ), from around 875 this architectural element has already developed to full bloom. It continues at the temples of Khajuraho ( Lakshmana Temple around 950; Vishvanatha Temple around 1000; Kandariya Mahadeva Temple around 1030). It also appears in the largely open and air- flooded Jain temples of the late period (Adinath temple in Ranakpur , Rajasthan, around 1450).

It is noteworthy that the originally vertical balcony parapets are evolving into slightly angled components due to the appearance of stone benches inside, whereby small turned stone pillars are often used that cannot deny their origins from wooden models.

Islam

After the extensive conquest of North India by Islam , the Hindu and Jain temple construction came to a virtual standstill. On the other hand, the rulers of the Sultanate of Delhi and the later Mughal emperors took over jharokhas for their gate and palace buildings (e.g. Fatehpur Sikri ). In later times, the Hindu, but Mogul-loyal Maharajas imitated the architectural style of their masters - this is how one of the most magnificent jharokha buildings in India was created: the 'Palace of the Winds' ( Hawa Mahal ) in Jaipur . But jharokhas also appear as a dominant element of facade design in many homes of wealthy merchants ( havelis ) - especially in Rajasthan.