India

Crocheted toran door hanging in Solapur, Maharashta

Bless Your House with Indian Door Hangings

Leave a Comment / Diwali, India, Rituals and customs, traditional architecture / By

Indian households love to hang decorations over their front doors, and at their windows, too. Called toran, these Indian door hangings bring good fortune to the house and everyone in it, including visitors. The word toran comes from the Sanskrit for “archway” or “gateway”, and in architecture refers to Buddhist temple entrances composed of two …

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India's window chajja, shown on houses in the French quarter of Pondicherry

Rain or Shine – India’s Window Chajja Have You Covered

Leave a Comment / India, Indian window projections, traditional architecture, Vernacular architecture / By

India’s window chajja help keep you cool in summer and dry in the rainy season. They are projections above windows, and range from simple concrete blocks, to striped plastic coverings to tiled mini-roofs to carved wooden masterpieces. Chajja is also a glorious word in its own right! In Urdu it means “brim” and can also …

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