How this Gujarat village adopted and adapted the Art Deco style
In villages such as Dharmaj, Gujarat, glimpses of local styles of Art Deco can be seen even today, signalling the far-reaching influence of this 100-year-old architecture and design movement
Art Deco is known as one of the most impactful movements based on principles of sleek design and rhythmic geometry. Originally namedArts décoratifs,this style came into popular use after the 1925 Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes held in Paris between April and October 2025. In India, cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai made the style their own with some of the most prominent buildings in Art Deco coming up between the 1930s and 1950s. However, the Art Deco movement was not restricted to urban centres but permeated to villages as well. “Zamindars, or wealthy landowners, saw Art Deco style come up in cities and got their homes constructed in a similar style. I have seen such instances in rural Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Rajasthan. That was the kind of spread that this style had," says Hyderabad-based architect Srinivas Murthy, who also runs Architecture and Design Foundation [India] to create awareness about good design. “And when the relatively well-off village residents saw the sarpanch or zamindar turn to Art Deco, they too followed suit."
Dharmaj, a village in Anand in Gujarat, stands as an example of Art Deco architecture and design being a symbol of aspiration and cosmopolitanism in non-urban areas in the mid-20th century. The village has nearly 120 Art Deco buildings dating to the 1930 and 1940s, most of them residences—a large number for a village with a population of just over 11,000 even in the 2010 census.
The Art Deco influence is attributed to migration, particularly within the Patidar community, to Africa, the UK and the US via Mumbai, where they encountered these buildings. Inspired by its association with modernity and sophistication, migrants returning from these places adopted the style in their home towns as a visual expression of their cosmopolitan identity and rising social status. At the same time, the region witnessed technological developments facilitated by the Gaekwad rule in the erstwhile princely state of Baroda. That enabled the rise of Art Deco design in the village.
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True to the rest of India, Dharmaj also customised the style. “Typical Art Deco forms and motifs such as chevrons, sunbursts and frozen fountains were overlaid with cultural meaning," says Ashna Patel, project lead, Dharmaj Heritage Collaborative, which was launched in June 2021. So, you will find concrete jaalis and iron grilles inlaid with figurative depictions of Lord Krishna, and of Mahatma Gandhi, referencing the involvement of early migrants from Dharmaj in the freedom movement, particularly in South Africa. The advent of RCC (reinforced cement concrete) construction enabled communities to move away from traditional timber houses, which were getting difficult to maintain in their absence, and adopt Art Deco features within their homes. The role of local skilled carpenters and artisans was instrumental in this adaptation as they carved wooden moulds to cast Art Deco motifs, including geometric, floral and nautical forms in RCC.
Patel, who is also part of the Centre for Heritage Conservation at CEPT Research and Development Foundation in Ahmedabad, has been working on a programme to help map, safeguard and conserve Dharmaj’s cultural heritage. The centre has partnered with a local not-for-profit Avichal Heritage Foundation since 2021. A significant portion of the research on Art Deco in the village was carried out particularly by two master’s students from CEPT University, Pranjali Mathure and Priyanka Baghel.
Most of these buildings are in the historic core of the village, particularly surrounding Gandhi Chowk, Mohan Chowk, Navi Pol, Vadi Chowk and the Clock Tower. Many are ancestral properties and lie abandoned. They are rapidly deteriorating due to limited funding for maintenance, inadequate technical resources for maintenance, and declining interest among the succeeding generations.
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“Common issues include exposed and corroded reinforcement, cracks, and moisture-related damage to both exteriors and interiors. In addition to these tangible threats, the survival of these buildings is critical in the face of economic and technical challenges in maintaining heritage properties," says Patel.
The studies the teams have conducted has been instrumental in raising awareness among residents and diaspora communities about the architectural and cultural significance of Art Deco buildings in Dharmaj, and the need for their conservation. In 2023, students led a heritage walk and conducted a two-day festival in Dharmaj, which was attended by locals as well as members of the diaspora community who were visiting the village. Families are working towards protecting their old homes. “The Kalidas Jethabhai House, supported by the KJH family, has become a platform for academic engagement, research, and heritage awareness activities," says Patel. However, more needs to be done to save Art Deco in Dharmaj, she says.
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