Saturday 2 November 2013

The Haveli

In Garam Hawa the Haveli not only occupies space but also occupies temporal dimensions. It is what grounds the identity of the Mirza family to their shareef Muslim identity. Apart from physically occupying space the Haveli also holds immense importance across times i.e, generations. However, this relationship does dilute as we move downwards from dadi to her grandchildren. 

This is evident when Dadi is asked to leave the Haveli and she goes and hides in the kitchen saying she won't leave. Then when she comes back in the doli, she can hear wedding songs and we experience strong nostalgia on part of the Dadi. The Haveli is in a sense her identity because she's grown up inside the Haveli and has seldom or almost never left it. When Admani Sahab decided to buy the Haveli, he also shows apprehension at removing Mirza Saleem from his house. For a Muslim family living in India after partition when a lot of Muslims have left for Pakistan, the Haveli becomes a lot more than just their home but also gives them a sense of belonging. 

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