01/07/2024
"Jaalis of Fatehpur Sikri
The Jaali is one of the great Indian contributions to global art and architecture, allowing light and air into a space whilst minimising heat .
A new book on Jaalis by Navina Haider traces their origins to the Buddhist cave-monasteries of Bedsa, in Maharashtra, around 200BC. Around 500AD, the jaali made its way into Hindu architecture and became popular in temples across the Deccan and Gujarat.
The Sultans of Gujarat and Sindh integrated Jaalis into Islamic architecture for the first time, and soon "mashrabiya" as they were known in Arabic, would be used as far afield as Islamic Cordoba in Spain
Fatehpur Sikri was built to celebrate the Mughal conquest of Gujarat, and as such is filled with beautiful Gujarati style jaalis."
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