Intricate latticed screens — jalis — were everywhere in traditional Indian homes, especially in Rajasthan and across the Mughal-influenced north. They looked beautiful, yes. But they also filtered harsh sunlight into dappled patterns, allowed air to pass through freely, and gave the people inside a view out while limiting the view in. They were privacy screens, air filters, and light diffusers all at once, cut from stone or wood without any moving parts.
Today’s equivalent is usually a solid wall or a glass window with a heavy curtain. Neither does what jali does. A few contemporary architects are reviving jali screens in concrete, metal, and even 3D-printed versions, which is encouraging. But they’re still treated as an aesthetic choice rather than the practical climate solution they always were.
