Site 1
Chemkali Housing

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Initially the Chemkali temple was located on the banks of the Ganges, surrounded by an agrarian village. Over the years housing evolved at the edges of the temple, built into the mountain on which Chemkali sat. 

This was a mixed settlement inhabited by Hindus and Muslims. After the Babri masjid demolition, riots ensued in Kannauj and the Muslims living on edges of the temple were driven away. The Rajput comunity took possession of the land. They believed that Chemkali was the daughter of Raja Venu of Kannauj and the kuldevi of the Rajput Rathors. Two Rajput brothers who took possession of this land built their house on it. As the family grew the house started to get subdivided. Every space was unique, no wall was straight and no house was shut off from the other. Many of these children went to become plumbers and drivers but the children of the thekedars prospered and built multiple levels above the ground storey structures.
The oldest member lived in the oldest part of the house, as was the custom. Some of them had windows in their houses, unlike others who filled them up and built skylights since they could not afford the framing. The younger Kisna was more prosperous, with a stable job and therefore got to pick the road-facing side of the land but even among their children, the oldest lives in the older part of the house and rooms or floors and chulhas are added as the younger ones get married and build their own families. Later fights ensued in the family and some family members started subdividing their houses and building walls to separate themselves from their families. The house is an intricate growing organ and the people seamlessly seem to be incrementally building it, with their intricate and delicate relationships constantly shaping the builtform. 

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