Pastel rows of windows
One of the most unexpected and photogenic sights in Gujarat lies in the old town of Sidhpur (Siddhpur) — street after street of elegant, pastel-coloured havelis built by the prosperous Dawoodi Bohra community in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Unlike the carved wooden havelis elsewhere in Gujarat, these are distinctly European in flavour: ornate plastered facades in pink, blue, green and cream, with arched windows, wooden shutters, balconies, monograms and decorative cornices, lined up in remarkably uniform, harmonious rows.
Earning Sidhpur the nickname ‘the City of Windows’, these mohallas (the Bohrawads or Vohrawads) reflect the wealth, mercantile connections and refined taste of the Bohra traders who built them. They feel almost like a corner of old Europe transplanted to Gujarat — quietly atmospheric and increasingly appreciated by heritage-lovers and photographers, the Bohra havelis are a one-of-a-kind architectural gem.
A living residential quarter, the Bohrawad is best appreciated from the street — admire the facades, photograph the rows, and respect the privacy of the families who still call these beautiful houses home.
A Sidhpur street scene.
Traders came home and built a city of windows
The Bohra havelis of Sidhpur.
The Dawoodi Bohra trading community prospered at Sidhpur, with fortunes made in commerce across India and East Africa.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries they rebuilt their quarter in ornate, European-inflected townhouses.
The mohallas were built to a shared aesthetic, so whole streets read as single compositions.
The result is unique in India — the 'city of windows', street after pastel street of it.
Reasons to make the time
City of Windows
The shuttered windows run in disciplined rows down every facade — the detail that gives the quarter its name.
Pastel facades
The palette is pastel — pink, powder blue, green, cream — repeated house to house down the street.
Uniform rows
Because the houses were built to a shared taste, the streetscapes are harmonious in a way Indian towns rarely are.
Bohra heritage
The detailing — cornices, pilasters, monograms — reflects the refined taste of a travelled trading community.
European flavour
Nothing else in Gujarat looks like this; the closest comparisons are outside India entirely.
Photographers' gem
Photographers have made the quarter quietly famous, and the morning light explains why.
What to look for inside
THE HAVELISPastel rows
Carved townhouse facades in repeating colours.
THE STREETSOld Sidhpur
The Bohrawad mohallas, still a living quarter.
How to spend an hour or two
Walk the mohallas
Walk the Bohrawad streets slowly; the composition works street by street, not house by house.
Admire the facades
Take in the pastel palette and the ornament — no two houses identical, all of them related.
Spot the details
Look for the monograms and cornices; families signed their houses in the European manner.
Photograph the rows
Step back and read whole streetscapes; the harmony is the achievement.
Respect privacy
Remember it is a living quarter — homes, not a set — and behave as a guest on the street.
Pair with Sidhpur sights
Pair the walk with Rudra Mahalaya and Bindu Sarovar, both minutes away.
Sidhpur’s heritage streets.
Facades, windows and rows
The Bohra havelis of Sidhpur are 19th–early-20th-century townhouses with ornate, European-influenced plastered facades — arched windows, wooden shutters, balconies, monograms and cornices — in pastel pinks, blues and greens, arranged in remarkably uniform rows.
Built by the prosperous Dawoodi Bohra trading community, these mohallas give Sidhpur its ‘City of Windows’ nickname and a streetscape unlike anywhere else in Gujarat. A living residential quarter, they are best admired from the street.
Planning more of the area? Our Patan guide covers the whole district.
Planning it in detail? See our Sidhpur travel guide.
Pastel European-style facades
Arched shuttered windows
Uniform harmonious rows
Dawoodi Bohra mohallas
When to go
October to March is the pleasant season, and morning light is when the facades are at their best.
The monsoon deepens the pastel colours and clears the dust; between showers the streets photograph beautifully.
April to June is hot; walk at first light and be done by mid-morning.
⏰ Walk the Bohrawad streets in the soft morning light for the best photos; always respect that these are people's homes.
Timings & entry
- Residential streets, always open
- Best in soft morning light
- Admire from the street
- Allow 1–2 hours
- Free to walk the streets
- Respect residents' privacy
- Don't enter homes uninvited
- Be discreet with photography
Getting there
By Air
Ahmedabad airport (~110 km).
By Rail
Sidhpur / Patan stations.
By Road
At Sidhpur, Patan district.
In the Bohrawad
PASTEL & WINDOWS
Sidhpur's City of Windows
What to shoot
Rows of shuttered windows down the facades.
Detail
Pastel fronts, cornices and monograms.
Streetscape
Whole haveli rows composed as one.
Best light
Soft morning light along the streets.
Know before you go
More to see close by
ANCIENT TANKSahastralinga Talav
A vast Solanki-era reservoir of a thousand shrines
CRAFTPatola Looms
Months of work in a single ikat sari
OLD CITYPatan Bazaars
Patola showrooms, gates & the walled town
Shankheshwar Parshwanath
Vishnu avatars carved into the stepwell
HISTORYPatan City Anhilwad
Traces of the great Solanki capital
CRAFTPatola Heritage House
Watch double-ikat silk woven by master families
Where to eat near Bohra Havelis, Sidhpur
THALIGujarati Thali
Sweet-savoury full meals.
FARSANDhokla & fafda
Steamed and fried snacks.
STREETChaat & snacks
Simple market-town fare.
Pure-veg town
Classic North Gujarat veg; Mehsana's milk sweets near.
Bohra Havelis, Sidhpur FAQ
What are the Bohra havelis?
Pastel, European-style heritage townhouses built by the Dawoodi Bohra trading community at Sidhpur — street after street of ornate facades known as the 'city of windows'.
Why is Sidhpur the 'City of Windows'?
For its rows of shuttered-window haveli facades built to a shared aesthetic, producing streetscapes of a harmony found nowhere else in Gujarat.
When were they built?
Mostly in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when the community's trading fortunes across India and East Africa were at their height.
Can I go inside?
They are private homes in a living quarter — admire from the street, respect privacy, and be discreet with the camera.
Is there an entry fee?
No. The streets are public and free to walk.
Where is it?
At Sidhpur in Patan district, on the Saraswati, about 25 km north of Patan town.
What's nearby?
The Rudra Mahalaya ruins and the sacred Bindu Sarovar tank, both minutes from the quarter.
When should I visit?
October to March, in the morning — the light, the temperature and the quiet all favour it.
Related places across Gujarat
1Dholi Dhaja Dam
Watch herds of wild ass gallop across the Rann
Madhavrai Temple
Popular city temples & ashrams
TOWNGodhra
The district’s bustling headquarters
WETLANDGavier Lake & Tapi
Birdlife along the river and city lakes
UNESCODholavira
A 4,500-year-old Harappan city & ancient water system
RIVERHiran & Kamleshwar
Gir’s lifeline river, dam & birdlife
WHERE TO STAY
Find your stay in Gujarat
Compare live prices across the big booking sites and reserve in a few taps. Booking happens securely on the partner's site — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Book directly on our partner sites — tap a provider to see live Gujarat hotels & prices:
SHOP THE REGION
Bring home Gujarat — & travel essentials
Hand-picked crafts and trip gear, available on Amazon.
Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 24 August 2026