Why Our Ancestors Used To Make Houses With Aangan- Know Here

Houses with open spaces as the central courtyard called `aangan` were a common architectural design back in the old times. This concept may be from ancient times when civilizations learned to shape houses, especially in ancient India.

Central courtyards or aangan were considered the spot of all the nucleus activities, family members used to do in their day-to-day life. One more reason to simplify the concept of aangan may be the rooted Indian traditions and culture which includes the Vastu-Shashtra, simplified as drawing inspiration from ancient texts such as the Vedas and the ancient treatises of architecture.

Sometimes, the aangans were filled with food grains to dry them up and sometimes, a row of flowerbeds used to be sowed in the side strip. In the summer nights, the spaces were used for a bed to lay under the roof of an open sky with visible belts of stars in the galaxy.

Typical Indian architecture was like a square of buildings all around a courtyard space. The diverse cultures of India were the reason for different beautification designs and floral patterns to be used in the decorative aspect. Whether it would be the wooden design of Kerela, the floral designs of Maharashtra, or it would be the colour paintings of north Indian houses, each house used to have its own unique aesthetic features

The architecture has evolved variously over time and now the typical Indian home is considered similar to the colonial European separate square or rectangular buildings with no space left for such aangans. But if we talk of the old culture, aangans have various features to satisfy the then need for courtyards:

Climatic Conditions

India, with a hot and humid climate in major of its parts, is the perfect place to build such designed houses. The aangans were like huge natural ventilation which used to allow hot air to escape and cooler air to flow in and help maintain a pleasant indoor climate. In many rain-prone regions of India like the northeastern states and Konkan region, the design of aangan allowed for rainwater harvesting very efficiently and with ease. 

Cultural Practices

Aangans were often used for serving as a space where families used to gather to observe festivals and other important events. The placing of the Tulsi plant in many north Indian homes was in aangans which acted as a huge religious belief and a natural air purifier for the house. 

Importance of Sunlight

The always bustling and running modern life today has caused many things to be completely barraged from our lives. One such thing is the sunlight. Its importance in our lives is contemporary to the water we drink and the air we breathe. Usual modern house designs have completely eradicated the role of sunlight in our lives. There is mere access to the benefits of rays which used to bless our interior surroundings. Aangans used to be completely open and thus sunlight fulfil our houses with its numerous benefits.

But saying the fact that Indian houses have changed completely would be wrong. Many people are still preferring the same old design to be used in building their houses. While traditional Indian architecture has evolved over time, many contemporary homes still incorporate these elements in their design. Modern adaptations may include updated materials and construction techniques while retaining the essence of traditional architecture.