Shekhawati: Urbanism in the semi-desert of India A climatic study

Abstract

The architecture of any place and time is an outcome of many factors-religious doctrines, ritual focus, social set-up, resource availability, climatic impact and economic constraint. India offers a great variety in each of the above-mentioned factor. Yet if we closely analyse, more or less the social set-up is similar in all regions in a particular time period. The variation occurred due to the climate, resource availability and economics. If we analyse the traditional residences of various regions, we find similarities in their spatial hierarchy and arrangement, but each presents before us a unique example responding most innovatively to the local climate. In this paper we have tried to bring forth the climate responsiveness and appropriateness of the Havelis of Shekhawati, Rajasthan, India.