Choultry
Encyclopedia
A choultry, or tschultri, is a resting place for visitors where rooms and food are provided by a charitable institution for nominal rates.
Some were guesthouses where accommodation was free of charge. Choultry can also be spelled choultree or choltry, and is also known as a satram, chatram or dharmasala.
and of doubtful etymology.
In West India
the form used is chowry or chowree. A hall, a shed, or a simple loggia, used by travellers as a resting-place, and also intended for the transaction of public business.
In the old Madras Archives there is frequent mention of "justices of the choultry". A building of this kind could have been used as early courthouses.
Some were guesthouses where accommodation was free of charge. Choultry can also be spelled choultree or choltry, and is also known as a satram, chatram or dharmasala.
Etymological origins
A peculiar word whose origin is in South IndiaSouth India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
and of doubtful etymology.
In West India
West India
West India or the Western region of India consists of the states of Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra, along with the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. It is highly industrialized, with a large urban population. Most of Western India was part of the Maratha Empire before...
the form used is chowry or chowree. A hall, a shed, or a simple loggia, used by travellers as a resting-place, and also intended for the transaction of public business.
In the old Madras Archives there is frequent mention of "justices of the choultry". A building of this kind could have been used as early courthouses.
Other usages
- In South India, especially in KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
a choultry can also denote a Hindu wedding hall. - According to Seringapatam 1799 terminology, a choultry may be rest house, courthouse, shedShedA shed is typically a simple, single-storey structure in a back garden or on an allotment that is used for storage, hobbies, or as a workshop....
, inn or caravanseraiCaravanseraiA caravanserai, or khan, also known as caravansary, caravansera, or caravansara in English was a roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey...
, pillared hall or temple colonnadeColonnadeIn classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
.