MORADABAD:

URBAN MORPHOLOGY
“Festivals such as Diwali, Eid, Lohri, Durga Puja and Chhat Puja are celebrated with equal
anticipation and joy. The monuments of Moradabad depict the essence of both Hindu and
Muslim cultures. Throughout history, the city has attracted eminent musicians, dancers
and painters who have contributed to the cultural treasures of the city.”

The internal structure of Moradabad, the spatial distribu-

tion of its functional localities — the urban regions cannot
be formulated according to any theoretical arrangement
of urban expansion. It is actually a combination of hetero-
geneous pockets of different functions. The pre-urban nu-
cleus of Moradabad was the fort of Chaupala, situated on
the ridge by the right bank of the Ramganga. Four oth-
er villages also existed on the ridge around Chaupala (old Najibudaulah’s Fort
Moradabad).
The city of Moradabad, which now covers an area of nearly
4 sq. miles, has absorbed all the five villages. For efficiency
of administration and government the, site of the old mud
fort was chosen for the new brick fort. The present city has
its core shifted from the river bank to the northwest. The
core of the old town was the fortthe administrative cente,
and Faiz Ganj- the central business district.
Ancient coins found during a
search

MORADABAD- PRE VISIT STUDY SUBMITTED BY: SECTION:

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ASHIMA SAINI RANA DAKSHIL 2A
MOHEED HASAN SAHIL JAIN
KOLATA TEJASWI
 The surrounding areas served as the
residential quarters for the elite, being
near to the core, and those away from
it, lying tovrards the suburbs, for the
poor and menial service-class people.
The present core or the City Centre is
the area where the Town Hall, Tahsil,
male and female hospitals, municipal
offices, and other public buildings are.
The central business district is located
to the south and southeast of the core.

The old core and the central business district have now decayed, and the site of the core-
the fort, has been occupied by the buildings of the Government Inter College. The urban
regions of the present city have no definite and very clear picture.

THREE GENERALISATIONS OF THE INTERNAL STRUCTURES

MORADABAD- PRE VISIT STUDY SUBMITTED BY: SECTION:

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ASHIMA SAINI RANA DAKSHIL 2A
MOHEED HASAN SAHIL JAIN
KOLATA TEJASWI
MORADABAD- PRE VISIT STUDY SUBMITTED BY: SECTION:
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ASHIMA SAINI RANA DAKSHIL 2A
MOHEED HASAN SAHIL JAIN
KOLATA TEJASWI
As regards the spatial distribution of the res-
idential quarters the whole of the old town is
mainly occupied by this function. A special fea-
ture of the residential quarters is the presence
of the manufactories in the residential houses.
The buildings of the old town mainly belonging
to Muslim master craftsmen and artisans are
partly used as the factories for manufacturing
brasswares and partly for the residences. Hence
it is difficult to demarcate any area which is oc-
cupied exclusively by residential quarters. An-
other feature of the residential quarters is the
strong internal differentiation, that of the separate quarters for various castes”, and fol-
lowers of different creeds.
The residential quarters can be divided into the following categories: (a) Old Residential
Quarters. (b) New Residential Quarters. (c) Suburban Residential Developments. (d)
Civil Lines, Police Lines and Railway Settlements. nt.
(a) Old Residential Quarters: From its origin as a fort in 1624 to its cession to the British
Government in 1801, the nucleus of the city was the fort and the Jama Masjid. The res-
idential houses were located around them which usually belonged to Muslim chiefs and
men of rank. Their attendants also resided in the same houses. These houses were very
spacious erected in large gardens. Some of them exist to this day but in a deserted condi-
tion like enclaves. At present there is mixed type of buildings in this quarter.
(b) New Residential Quarters: With the expansion of the city and shift of the nucleus,
many residential quarters have grown besides the old ones and the Civil Lines. The hous-
es are spacious, built according to the plan approved by the local authorities, and provid-
ing all amenities.
(c)Suburban Residential Developiaents: In the northern outskirts Harthala, formerly a
village, has developed into a new suburban residential quarter. Many such suburban res-
idential developments are coming up in the west in Hathala, Majholi, Dhakka, Kanpur,
Narainpur, etc. These residential quarters provide better housing facilities.
(d) Civil Lines, Police Lines and Railway Settlement: Most of the residential buildings of
the Civil Lines and Police Lines usually being a governmental undertaking and construct-
ed generally under the supervision of the Public Works department are of a set pattern.
The architecture is standard with economy as the watchword.

MORADABAD 2019

MORADABAD- PRE VISIT STUDY SUBMITTED BY: SECTION:

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ASHIMA SAINI RANA DAKSHIL 2A
MOHEED HASAN SAHIL JAIN
KOLATA TEJASWI
SHOPPING AREAS As regards the spatial
distribution of the shopping areas, the cen-
tral business district and other shopping ar-
eas have distinct locations. These have been
distinguished into: (a) Central Business Dis-
trict. (b) Wholesale Shopping Areas. (c) Re-
tail Shopping Areas. (d) Weekly Markets.

(a)Central Business District: The central

business district of old Moradabad was lo-
cated at the crossing of the thorughfares
known as Sambhal Road, Mandi Bans and
Faiz Ganj. At present it has shifted more to-
wards the west near the Town Hall.

(b)Wholesale Shopping Areas; As the factories are generally located mixed with the res-
idential houses, the commercial firms dealing in wholesale business of their products are
also present in every nook and corner of the town.

PARSVNATH SHOPPING MALL

(c) Retail Shopping Areas

(d) Weekly Market Centres: A large number of neighbouring settlements from where
people come to this day to gather at one market place on the fixed days to consign trans-
actions for their periodic requirements.

MORADABAD- PRE VISIT STUDY SUBMITTED BY: SECTION:

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ASHIMA SAINI RANA DAKSHIL 2A
MOHEED HASAN SAHIL JAIN
KOLATA TEJASWI
INDUSTRIAL AREAS Moradabad is famous for
its brassware industry. By an analysis of the popu-
lation figures it is evident that 96.4% of the total
population of the city derives its living from non-ag-
ricultural occupations, mainly manufacturing brass-
wares and other allied industries.
• Moradabad Cast Metal: The master craftsmen
and labourers engaged in this type of manufactur-
ing are generally Muslims. The manufactory is usu-
ally located in the house of the artisans.
• Moradabad Sheet Brass: There is a considerable
industry of manufacturing domestic utensils out of
imported sheet brass. This branch is mostly in the
hands of the Hindu ‘thateras’ or smiths. So the lo-
calities of this specialised industry are the Chaura-
ha Gali, Thatera, Tambakuwaia, Diwan Ka Bazaar,
and Kath Darwaza. Some modern rolling mills have
been erected to manufacture ‘katoras’ or bowls,
spoons and other vessels out of metal sheets by
cutting and pressing machines. Articles like thalis,
trays, tiffin carriers, etc., are manufactured with the
help of power lathes.
• Moradabad Art Brass: The factory system has still
further developed in the manufacture of art brasswares. The artisians are seen doing this
exquisitely beautiful work, sitting before their doors out in the lanes and along the streets.
Thus, this type of manufacturing is also mixed with the residential quarters. • Food In-
dustries: Flour milling pulse splitting, oil expelling and paddy husking are the basic food
industries, which are located in a scattered fashion throughout the residential quarters.
Their dispersed location makes them accessible to the residents of the city’s different
residential quarters.
• Carpentry and Woodwork: The location of the wood-working establishments is gov-
erned by the transportation factor. So the light articles like stands, etc., are manufactured
near the brassware factories in the city. The heavy furniwure and other articles are gener-
ally made in the factories located along the Station Road and the Bareilly Road outside
the city.

Along the bylanes of Lal Masjid and Bada Shah Safa area in Moradabad, a sense of hopelessness was palpable
among craftsmen who in ordinary circumstances would swear by a profession passed down generations.

MORADABAD- PRE VISIT STUDY SUBMITTED BY: SECTION:

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ASHIMA SAINI RANA DAKSHIL 2A
MOHEED HASAN SAHIL JAIN
KOLATA TEJASWI
ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRES
Nearly all of the administrative buildings are located in the Civil Lines. Only the Police
Stations and police outposts, Municipal offices and a few other offices are located in the-
other parts of the city.
The fort had been the administrative centre and nucleus of the old town in the past. With
the change of the government the administrative headquarters have shifted to the west
and tne northwest of the old town, where the present TownHall and the Civil Lines have
been established. There is a separate entity in the Civil Lines known as the Police Lines.
This is the area occupied by the Provincial Auxiliary Corps, Police Training College, and
other police establishments.
TRANSPORTATION AREAS • Railway Stations: There are four Bailway Stations in
Moradabad. The most important of them is the Main Junction which is situated in the
mmiddle-west of the city. Moradabad City Railway Station is a terminus passenger sta-
tion for the North-Eastern Railway which is situated to the southeast of the goods shed
of the main station.
RECREATIONAL CENTERS There are a few cinema houses, mostly situated along the
Station Road. The now closed cinema buildings are used for staging dramas and other
recreational progranmas sponsored by the Railway and Rotary clubs. The open space
near Budh Ka Bazaar(a weekly market) to the south of the Station Road and the north-
west of Asalat Pura residential quarters is used for staging the Circus. The city lacks in
recreational centres and so the inhabitants depend for their recreation onccinemas only.
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES The city has a large number of educational institutions,
which provide art education from priffiary standard to post-graduate degrees. They are
well distributed in all the residential quarters. Their dispersed locations serve the purpose
of accessibility. The number of Primary and nursery Schools is more than 80 in this city.
These basic institutions are also scattered in the whole city. Moradabad has the biggest
Police Training College of the State of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated in the Police Lines in
a spacious area.
GREEN SPOTS, OPEN SPACES AND AGRICULTURAL FRINGES Moradabad is
very deficient in green spots and open spaces. Its residential quarters and the built-up ar-
eas are so congested that very little open space is available inside the city. It is only in the
Civil Lines that land has been occupied by gardens, parks, lawns and play grounds.
MEDICAL CENTRES There are many hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, maternity yards,
and veterinary hospitals in the city. Besides the hospitals and dispensaries run ty the State
Government, and the Local administration, there are many private clinics and dispensa-
ries wheree facilities are provided for indoor as well as outdoor patients which arewell
distributed throughout the residential quarters of the city and the Civil Lines. A veteri-
nary hospital is also situated in Kanjari Sarai along the Kachehri Road.
BURIAL GROUNDS As the majority of the inhabitants of this city are Muslims, it has
many grave yards. Christians have also inhabited the city for the last two centuries, hence
cemeteries are also found here. The burial grounds as a tradition are always located out-
side the built-up areas and so they make the boundary of the city. With the expansion of
the habitation of the city these burial grounds became the parts of the city proper. Many
residential quarters and other functional developments have taken place beyond the old
grave-yards. The cremation ground for the Hindus is provided by the Ramganga ghats

MORADABAD- PRE VISIT STUDY SUBMITTED BY: SECTION:

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ASHIMA SAINI RANA DAKSHIL 2A
MOHEED HASAN SAHIL JAIN
KOLATA TEJASWI