Urban Planning: Lessons to learn from Mandi town

Graphic by Dr. Pawan Vaidya

Mandi town, its ancient layout, housing design and water resources is a cultural heritage that offers a lot to learn and showcase a sustainable approach to modern urban planners. The erstwhile rulers and administrators adopted a grid like layout and housing design in an era when there were few planned towns to develop an urban settlement, later called as the Mandi ‘Nagar’. Our eminent visionaries used best layout & technologies in cooling community/living spaces as well as manage natural waterbodies and excess water. The idea itself must have been revolutionary for a fledgling state establishment.

Picture Source: Mr. Vinod Behl

Almost all the infrastructure created has used heat-resistant materials/technologies in construction as per master plan. Walk into old town and you will find narrow lanes/by lanes and small squares. Narrow lanes tend to be shadier and reduce the amount of heat absorbed by direct exposure to sunlight and closed lanes further tend to be cooler than wide-open ones. The bare lane ground and the walls of the houses are only exposed to the sun for a short period when the sun rays come from directly above. The cut stone paved lanes used to act as permeable surface to soak the water, quickly divert excess water into the side drains and reflect heat through natural blue stone cooling properties.

Picture Source: Unknown

Managing water bodies too was exemplary as these serve as natural heat sinks. Series of Baolis and natural springs offered timeless solution for water needs and summer relief. These architectural wonders not only recharged groundwater but also provided natural cooling during summers. Additionally, Baolis historically brought communities together, and providing respite from the heat in more ways than one. The sunken garden (Ghanta Ghar) pond used to act as rainwater harvesting system and replenish the ground water for all water bodies in town as well as a recreation center for residents. Presence of water pond and springs along with considerable green vegetation (recall kitchen garden-the swarh) across the town helped to lower the ambient temperature through evaporative cooling. The town layout had an elaborate drainage system too to ward off excess rain water/waste household water into the network of rivers.

Picture Source: Mr. Vinod Behl

The houses, known as “Chowki” have thick walls built of stone, wood and clay that delayed the heat gain to keep the houses cool even if the temperature outside soured high in summers. The standard two level houses were usually square with smaller windows on the external walls and an open courtyard (Aangan) in the middle to keep air moving and cool. Also, traditional chajjas (projecting eaves) and jaalis (perforated screens) promoted natural ventilation and shade. Incorporating balconies and terraces (recall autta/paura, Chabaru, Dhalan etc. in mandiali) eased the transition between indoors and outdoors while protecting the interiors. The hollow below the roof, the Attic-(called ‘Tarha” in mandiali) provided extra space for ventilation and did not allow heat to accumulate in the roof and what does accumulate got released into the sky at night.” Similarly the courtyard allowed hot air to float into a natural sink—the sky. The slate roof too acted as heat-absorbing surface during the day and reflect the later by night. Invariably external walls of all houses were painted white (usually with local white wash called ‘Makorh”) to enhance the amount of sunlight reflected into space.

These days, terms such as climate change, global warming and urban heat Island effects are common news and topics of debate. Increasingly warm conditions experienced are attributed usually to factors such as: often lack of vegetation, open spaces, and parks for air evaporation/ventilation; use of fossil fuel based vehicles and other home appliances; surfaces using steel, concrete, bricks, plastics and paints that absorb/radiate more heat etc., all this adding to overall warming.

Now, match technologies used in Mandi town, to some recommendations that modern urban planners make: use heat resistant building materials with shading, reflective & evaporative surfaces; introduce water bodies, fountains, and parks strategically across the town; pave walkways/minor roads with permeable surfaces and provide drainage to ward off excess water; reduce heat island effects associated with asphalt, concrete and painted materials; and promote alternative modes of transportation to reduce vehicular emissions.

All these recommendations sound as if had been already integrated beautifully in old Mandi town though hardly seen in the new parts. It is high time to preserve and/or promote the age old technologies in mitigating the adverse effects of heat and climate change.

As urban populations grow and climate challenges intensify, Mandi town model can be a living example to provide valuable lessons for our urban planners/civic bodies.

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Research & Compilation: Dr. Pawan Vaidya & input from Mr. Vinod Behl, Mandipedia-8/2024