Shuvro at 14:35, 1 September 2025

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{{Short description|Type of Indian residential building}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
[[File:Chawl - Mumbai 2006.jpg|thumb|A chawl in [[Mumbai]]]]
[[File:Chawl-community-housing-Dadar.jpg|thumb|Chawls in [[Dadar]], Mumbai]]
A '''chawl''' ([[Marathi language|Marathi]]: चाळ) is a type of residential building found in western [[India]], similar to a [[tenement]]. Typically low quality housing, chawls are generally associated with poverty. The first chawls were constructed in the early 1700s, as housing for industrial workers.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Physical and Social Configurations of the Bombay Chawls|url=https://www.sahapedia.org/physical-and-social-configurations-of-the-bombay-chawls|access-date=2021-04-03|website=Sahapedia|language=en}}</ref>

==History==
Chawls are rooted in the history of Bombay's (now [[Mumbai]]) colonial past. Workers migrated to Bombay from far and wide, as it was the center of trade for the [[East India Company]]. However, due to the land being unequally divided, British merchants and officials lived in sprawling bungalows, leaving little space for the working class. To accommodate this workforce, Chawls sprung up. These were tiny one room apartments shared by up to five people. Being highly congested, unsanitary, and unsafe, these were also more expensive than comparable accommodation in other Indian cities.<ref>{{cite book |last=National Council of Educational Research and Training|first=NCERT |title=India and the Contemporary World, part II |publisher=NCERT |page=142,143 |url=https://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/jess306.pdf}}</ref>

Town planning in Bombay finally came about because of fears of a plague epidemic, due to which The City Of Bombay Improvement Trust was established in 1898. Initial projects failed, displacing far more than they resettled. However, subsequent projects saw greater success, which largely included land reclamation projects to connect the [[Seven Islands of Bombay]]. This, along with modern apartments, led to availability of better housing, due to which chawls have declined. However, they may still be seen in the poorer parts of Mumbai.<ref>{{cite book |last= National Council of Educational Research and Training |first=NCERT |title=India and the Contemporary World, part II |publisher=NCERT |page=144,145 |url=https://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/jess306.pdf}}</ref>

==Description==
===Building layout===
Chawls are typically 4 to 5 stories tall, with between 8 and 16 dwellings on each floor. These dwellings are known as ''kholis (room)''. A central staircase services the building and gives access to a long passage that runs the length of each floor. Many chawls are also built around a small courtyard, which functions as a communal space for residents.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kamath |first1=Naresh |title=There's room for everyone: How Mumbai's chawls have been housing people for 117 years |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/there-s-room-for-everyone-how-mumbai-s-chawls-have-been-housing-people-for-27-years/story-ISMyYhgY2BQZzDNTcpG1sI.html |accessdate=22 August 2019 |publisher=[[Hindustan Times]]}}</ref> As many chawls are made with wood and often not subject to repairs, they become unstable or unsafe to live in over time, sometimes requiring relocation of the residents for fear that the structure may collapse.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Thereby Hangs A Storey {{!}} Outlook India Magazine|url=https://magazine.outlookindia.com/story/thereby-hangs-a-storey/228540|access-date=2021-04-03|website=magazine.outlookindia.com/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-05-10|title=Chawl caves in at Mumbai suburbs|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/chawl-caves-in-at-mumbai-suburbs-835733.html|access-date=2021-04-03|website=Deccan Herald|language=en}}</ref>

===Sanitation===
Families on a floor have to share a common block of [[latrine]]s. Tenements with private bathrooms are highly sought after and may be 50% more expensive than the price of a normal chawl.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kamath |first1=Naresh |title=There's room for everyone: How Mumbai's chawls have been housing people for 117 years |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/there-s-room-for-everyone-how-mumbai-s-chawls-have-been-housing-people-for-27-years/story-ISMyYhgY2BQZzDNTcpG1sI.html |accessdate=22 August 2019 |publisher=[[Hindustan Times]]}}</ref> The lack of bathrooms has been credited with furthering disease outbreaks in chawls.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Yadavar|first=Swagata|date=2020-05-17|title=6 toilets for 20 houses, inadequate testing: Why Mumbai's Worli chawls are a Covid hotspot|url=https://theprint.in/india/6-toilets-for-20-houses-inadequate-testing-why-mumbais-worli-chawls-are-a-covid-hotspot/423419/|access-date=2021-04-03|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref> Infestations of insects such as cockroaches or centipedes are not uncommon either, and with no rules about littering, sanitary conditions are usually very poor.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Homegrown|title=What It's Actually Like To Live In A Mumbai Chawl|url=https://homegrown.co.in/article/801844/what-its-actually-like-to-live-in-a-mumbai-chawl|access-date=2021-04-03|website=homegrown.co.in|language=en}}</ref>

==Life for residents==
Despite poor sanitation and living conditions, chawls are often seen as "[[middle class]]" housing, and are often more affordable than much of the housing in Mumbai.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sriram|first=Jayant|date=2016-03-07|title=What chawls can teach us|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/what-chawls-can-teach-us/article8323238.ece|access-date=2021-04-03|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Some chawls have shops or businesses incorporated into their structure, which provide employment or shopping opportunities to the inhabitants.<ref>Karandikar, P., 2010. ''Chawls: Analysis of a middle class housing type in Mumbai, India''. Iowa State University.</ref>

Residents of chawls sometimes cite a sense of community where everything is shared amongst themselves; the cramped design of chawls forces social interaction between residents and very often special occasions, such as weddings or religious festivals, are celebrated communally.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2006-09-16|title=A life in the day of the chawl|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-a-life-in-the-day-of-the-chawl-1053409|access-date=2021-04-03|website=DNA India|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-13|title=Jeetendra recalls memories of growing up in a chawl, says neighbours gathered at his home to see a ceiling fan. Watch|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/jeetendra-recalls-memories-of-growing-up-in-a-chawl-says-neighbours-gathered-at-his-home-to-see-a-ceiling-fan-watch-101615634630782.html|access-date=2021-04-03|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Learning from the Chawl Culture – Architecture & more by Square One|url=http://squareone.blog/the-chawl-culture/|access-date=2021-04-03|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
In [[Mulk Raj Anand|Mulk Raj Anand's]] novel ''[[Coolie (novel)|Coolie]]'', the central character Munoo lives with two family groups in a chawl during his time in Bombay, with detailed descriptions of the living circumstances. The 2019 Marathi-language drama film, ''[[15 August (2019 film)|15 August]]'' ({{langx|mr|१५ ऑगस्ट}}) revolves around life in a chawl, with the majority of the filming taking place there.<ref>{{Citation|last=Jaykar|first=Swapnaneel|title=15 August|date=2019-03-29|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9817300/|type=Drama|others=Abhishek Deshmukh, Mrunmayee Deshpande, Namrata Kadam, Addinath Kothare|publisher=RnM Motion Pictures|access-date=2021-04-03}}</ref> In [[Kiran Nagarkar|Kiran Nagarkar's]] novel ''Ravan & Eddie'', both main characters and their families live in a chawl.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Ravan-Eddie-Kiran-Nagarkar-ebook/dp/B0082YWMWK|access-date=2021-04-03|via=www.amazon.com|title=Ravan and Eddie |date=11 December 2012 }}</ref>

Chawls are featured in the Mumbai level in the game ''[[Hitman 2 (2018 video game)|Hitman 2]]''.<ref>{{Citation|title=Mumbai - The Dubious Cohabitation - Hitman Wiki Guide - IGN|url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/hitman-2016/Mumbai_-_The_Dubious_Cohabitation|language=en|access-date=2021-04-03}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Cortiço]] – a term used in [[Brazil]] and [[Portugal]] for an area of concentrated, high density urban housing, Cortiço houses are typically divided into small rooms that are rented.
* [[Casa di ringhiera]] a very similar type of housing built in the same period, and for the same purposes in [[Northern Italy]].
* Corrala, casa de corredor, or edificación de vecindad, a similar structure typical of [[Madrid]], but also found in some other towns in [[Castile and León|Castile]], as well as in parts of [[Andalusia]] and some other cities in Spain.
* [[Corral de comedias]], this same structure used as a venue for theater, especially in Madrid during the [[Spanish Golden Age]].

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite thesis|degree=MS|last=Karandikar|first=Priyanka|title=Chawls: Analysis of a middle class housing type in Mumbai, India|publisher=Iowa State University|year=2010|url=http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/11777/|accessdate=31 January 2013}}
* {{cite thesis|degree=MS|last=Sanyal|first=Tithi|title=The Chawls and Slums of Mumbai|year=2018|url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/143823/A_12%20The%20Chawls%20and%20Slums%20of%20Mumbai.pdf}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Chawl}}
{{Wiktionary}}
* "[https://web.archive.org/web/20140114164445/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-02-06/news-interviews/28372634_1_owners-and-private-builders-chawl-films Life in a chawl]" ''[[The Times of India]]''. 6 February 2011.

[[Category:Culture of Mumbai]]
[[Category:Residential buildings in India]]
[[Category:Poverty in India]]
[[Category:Housing in India]]

Chawl - Revision history

Shuvro at 14:35, 1 September 2025