Faliyu (Housing)

A faliyu (pronounced phaliyum, Gujarati: ફળિયું) or faliya and fali, in India is a housing cluster which comprises many families of a particular group, linked by caste, profession, or religion. Faliyas are typical of villages in Gujarat. This housing cluster is same as Pol of Ahmedabad city.

Etymology

The word faliyu is derived from the Sanskrit word pratoli meaning entrance to an enclosed area.

Architecture and culture

Faliyas are originally made as a protection measure from thieves and thugs. A typical fali would have only one or two entrances and also some secret entrances known only to people residing in a faliya. Some faliyas contain old beautiful houses with internal courts having intricate wooden carved facades with columns and fresco work done around court walls or ceilings. ‘Faliya’ architecture is an interesting evolution in urban living space.

Each fali is protected by a gateway. Most vary in size from five or ten to fifty or sixty houses. Faliyas are almost entirely inhabited by Hindus, in some cases by a settlement of families belonging to one caste, and in others by families of several of the higher castes, Brahmins, Vanias, Suthars, and Kanbis.^[1]

Most of the faliyas have been established and provided with a gateway, name of faliya have been given by the cast residing inside faliya like as if Patel's are residents of fali then name is Patel's Faliyu. Each faliy had generally its own sanitary arrangement. The affairs of faliyas were managed by group of people. On wedding and other great family occasions, each householder is expected to feast the whole faliya, and in some cases all the men of the faliya, though not of the same caste, are expected to attend any funeral that may take place.^[1]

The chief feature of these Faliyas is that each has a separate entrance protected by a gateway. Inside the Faliya the roads are rough, narrow, and winding, fit in many cases only for foot passengers. Most of the houses are first class, the walls massive and the timber strong. Some of them, especially those about more than hundred years old, are ornamented with much rich and finely cut wood-work. The jewellery 'safe' is usually a hole in the house wall or in one of the main beams, or in iron kabat hidden so cunningly that no stranger can find it out, and its secret so jealously guarded, that it is known only to the bead of the house, his wife, and one or two of his most trusted children. The people of these faliyas form, to some extent, separate communities, each with arrangements for managing its common affairs.^[2]

Faliyas

The villages of Gujarat located outside of the city is made up of Faliya system of housing cluster.

References