old market street
Known to be operational since the rule of the Suket king, the old market street stretches along the banks of Pangna khud (river). It is a narrow street reaching up to the Pangna Fort. It is lined with a chain of small shops on both its edges that sell various goods like stationery, sweets, baskets etc. The buildings on the street are oriented such that the shops line up to face the road and are more public in nature, compared to the attached living spaces that get concealed at the back. Characterized by their distinctive facades, they are primarily built of deodar wood, and locally procured slate stone.
Since the introduction of the new market road, the retail condition of the old market has moderately subsided. While some shops are minimizing their functional area, others are compelled to shut down due to lack of business. What remains of the street is a small part of its rich history, as residents in this belt are demolishing older structures to rebuild them using RCC.
old market street section
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1.Pangna Khud 2.Vegetable Shop 3.Sharma House 4.Gupta House 5.Dr. Jagdeesh Shop 6.Stationary Shop 7.Temple 8.Cow shed
old market street cluster plan
photo gallery
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Three homes owned by the Sharma family, along the market street, are arranged in a manner that they generate an open courtyard space. It is a significant feature as it not only provides room to perform various outdoor activities, but it is also the sole access to two of these houses and an underground baudi.
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Mrs Meena Sharma's gaushala or cowshed is the lowest structure in the entire settlement and is closest to the Pangna khud. It is a two-storey structure, with an enclosed room on the ground floor that accommodates the cows. This space gets occupied at night and during the winter as it keeps the cattle warm and comfortable, while the top floor serves as a storehouse for cattle fodder.
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Water in the Pangna khud generally dries up during the hot summer months and increases by 3-4 meters annually during the monsoon and winter seasons. Although, the homes in this stretch don't utilize this water for cooking purposes.
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Unlike the general typology of the structures on the old market road defined by the shop in the front and the house at the back, this small scale commercial unit does not have any living spaces attached to its shop fronts and is made entirely of RCC.
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The old market street stretches upwards to the Pangna fort, which is the highest point of the settlement and is visible from almost all parts of the village. Factoring the terrain of the hill, the houses on this street follow the language of its slope and effortlessly weave into the rich foliage around.
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Made of deodar wood, this is an ideal example of how houses on the street were built, around a century ago. The presence of numerous openings on the facade offers a general lightness and porosity to this built-form. It is given a coat of green paint to maintain and protect the exposed wooden panels.
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an open space, formed between two homes facing the river, that is accessed through a narrow flight of concrete steps to the left of the house. However, this space is occupiable only during certain hours of the day as it typically receives very harsh sunlight.
