The document discusses the courtyard layouts of wadas in Maharashtra. It describes how wadas were planned around individual and shared courtyards, which could be circular, square or rectangular in shape. Courtyards served important social functions like gatherings and celebrations. Wadas typically had three courtyards - the first was a public space for gatherings, the second was more private for festivals, and the third contained toilets. The document provides examples of different types of wadas like garhis, rajwadas and wadas, and describes their characteristic courtyard designs and uses.

1. The courtyard wada of Maharashtra

2. 
 Planed for individual units as well as for clusters
 Courtyards may have shapes
- circular
- Square
- rectangular
 Courtyard for clusters –
Chowk –serve as Gathering space
Wedding celebrations
Household chores
Courtyard for wada used for –
Informal gathering
Celebrating festival
Courtyards

3. 
 courtyards
- Not applicable only to fortified palaces
- Also to groups of rural dwellings
 Maratha settlements organized around
- chowk
- temple
- fortified garhi
- raj Wada
Courtyards

4. 
 Garhi - fortified
 Rajwada – lacked fortification
 Wada – lacked fortification
Classification

5. 
 Hutments
 Wada - lined the town street
- open spaces were in the form of front and .
. rear yards.
Habitation pattern

6. 
 Rajwada - built on large plot
 Garhi – built on large plot
Habitation pattern

7. 
 Consist of –
Front yards – Used for daily
chores
Rear yards - It forms service
areas
- housed the well
( for drinking water .
supply)
Courtyards of wada

8. 
The first courtyard -
IT served as
• Male bastion
• Venue for gatherings
i. official
ii. Social
Courtyards of wada

9. 
Courtyards of wada
 The second courtyard : • A private courtyard
• For celebrating festivals
• Rooms arranged around
courtyard consist of-
Kitchen
storage room
shrine
Bedrooms
Bathrooms

10. 
Courtyards of wada
 The third courtyard :
 Toilet were located in
outer courtyard to allow
sewage through drain
• More elaborate version the rear yards
• Comprise of service areas
• Equipped with –
i. Cowsheds
ii. Horse stables
iii. Wells
iv. Houses for servants
v. Stores

11. 
THE WADA- (A Maratha house)
 Wada is associated
with large mansions
 Variation in Wada's
due to differences in -
• Economic status
• Culture
• Lifestyle
• Dissimilarities in site

12. 
THE WADA- (A Maratha house)
 Plan of wada -  Courtyards attached to
wadas as front and rear
yards
 plan arrived from a
open quadrangle
 A pillared semi open
corridor around the
chowk
 Rooms beyond the
corridor

13. 
Typical wada
 Osari (verandah)
 Devdi (guard room)
 Kacheri (office)
 Baithak (reception)
 Dalan (living room)
 Majghar (middle room)
 Deoghar (prayer room)
 Gotha (cowshed)
 Nahani (bath/toilet)
 Swaipak ghar (kitchen)
 Kothar(store)
 Tulsi vrindavan (shrine)

14. 
 Umbartha (threshold of wada) ritually patterned
with rangolis
 Footprints of Lakshmi were also made
Typical wada

15. 
 Central facade has an opening
 Plinth of central structural bay
has steps
 Every structural bay on upper
floor has a long window
 Windows allow people on 1st
floor to participate in the
courtyard below
Typical wada

16. 
Typical wada
 Rooms receive indirect light through courts
 This ensures interior of wada remains cool
Ground floor -

17. 
Typical wada
Otah -
 Serves as transition
between public realm
and interior

18. 
Typical wada
Pahila chowk(first courtyard) -
 Passing by otah, arrives the pahila chowk
 The outer courtyard formed the center of all activities
 Semi public male dominated spaces were organized
around the court
a. Kacheri(office)
b. Daphtar(record room)
c. Khalbatkhana(negotiation room)
d. Meeting hall

19. 
Typical wada
Pahila chowk(first courtyard)
 Marriages and festivals celebrated here
 Interior facade of the court is ornamented
 Water fountains placed at the center
 Serves as climate moderator
I. Provides light
II. Provides ventilation

20. 
Typical wada
Atla chowk (inner court) -
 Situated at the rear of wada
 Most private space within the house
 Inner court surrounded by a pillared
verandah

21. 
Typical wada
Atla chowk ( inner court) -
 Women perform daily chores e.g.;
I. Needlework
II. Cutting vegetables
III. Making sweets, Making pickles &
snacks etc.
 festivals also Performed here :
I. Mangla gaur
II. Diwali
III. Kojagiri

22. 
Typical wada
 Sacred aspect of court is central
placement of tulsi vrindavan
 Tulsi plant signified the
transplantation of bride from her
parents to that of husband
Atla chowk (inner court) -

23. 
Regional classification
Kokan Desh Khandesh Marathwada Vidarbha
Joshi wada Shaniwar
wada
Wada at
pimplner
Patil wada Senior bhosle
wada

24. 
Garhi(Jadhavrao garhi)
Rajwada(satara)
Wada ( menavali wada)
Examples

25. 
 It stood isolated on hill top
 It has ramparts(defensive wall)
 Smaller arch with ogee arch called
dindi darwaza
Garhi- Jadhavrao garhi

26. 
 The courtyards are at
different levels , taking
advantage of hill profile
 It has 4 courtyards
 Internal courtyard has
tulsi vrindavan
Garhi- Jadhavrao garhi

27. 
 Is an example of palace
wadas
 Exposure of wada and
absence of ramparts
 Built on the foothills of fort
ajinkya tara
 Ground plus two storeyed
wada
 Openings in every bay
 Façade with series of arches
Rajwada - satara

28. 
 First internal courtyard has a
two storeyed structure on all
sides
 Courtyard is large
 Built form on the four sides is
stark and without
ornamentation
 Full length window openings
 courtyard used as
I. for ground assembly
II. school playground
Rajwada - satara

29.  Second internal
courtyard has the sopa
or the pillared hall
 Columns are two
storeyed high
 Onion shaped arches
spanning columns
 The rajwada today is
used for the offices of
municipal corporation
and high school
Rajwada - satara

30. 
 It falls in category of
nobleman's wada
 Specifically it is a
complex of ghats , wada
& temple
 Wada has six courtyards
 Providing light &
ventilation
Menavali wada wai

31.  Two courtyards contain
receptacles of tulsi plant
 Courtyards are open to sky and
needs drainage system
 Drainage system having open
joints
 Enclosed rooms overlooking
courtyards are well ventilated by
full height windows
 Courtyards are not intended for
fixed functions
 Adapted for various uses
Menavali wada wai

32. 
Presented by – Gayatri Kangarkar
THANK YOU