CultureAugust 16, 2026

chawl

CHAWL

Definition

A type of low-cost, multi-story tenement housing, common in Mumbai, originally built to provide residential space for factory workers.

Etymology

Derived from the Marathi word 'chāl', which refers to a row or passage of rooms. It entered the English language in the late 19th century to describe the distinctive tenement housing complexes in colonial-era Bombay.

In the news

The article uses 'chawls' to describe the urban neighborhoods in Pune and Mumbai where modern protest music and street activism are currently taking root.

FPJ 98th Anniversary: Gondhal To Hip-Hop — How Maharashtra’s Protest Music Became A Language Of Social

Read the full article ↗

Free Press Journal

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