Chhatri are semi-open, elevated, dome-shaped pavilions used as an element in the varieties of Indian architecture. They are most commonly of square, octagonal, and round shapes.
Originating as a canopy above tombs, they largely serve as decorative elements as opposed to functional elements. The earliest examples of chhatri being used in the Indian subcontinent were found in the Shrine of Ibrahim in Bhadreswar, which dates back to the 12th and 13th century. However, it lacks the relief decoration and this specific design like a twelve-pillar chattri built on a square plan with a corbelled ceiling that actually originates from the Hindu architecture of Northwest India, where it had been commonly used to built temple porches regularly since at least the 11th century.
Chhatri are found particularly within Mughal architecture that came from Bengal Deltaic Architecture.The artisans and architects of bengal brought this feature to the Darbar of powerful officials both hindu and muslim. The most notable surviving examples today are to be found at Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra. The Berar Sultanate in the Deccan added chhatris on buildings in its various capitals. Chhatri have also been used in Rajasthan and other parts of the Indian subcontinent by both Muslim and Hindu rulers.
They are primarily used to manipulate skylines, an important aspect of Bengal architecture. For instance, they may be added to building roofs, and larger chhatri may be used as cenotaphs. Its origins are, however, Rajastani. While chhatri in Shekhawati may consist of a simple structure of one dome raised by four pillars to a building containing many domes and a basement with several rooms. In some places, the interior of the chhatri is painted in the same manner as the haveli (mansions) of the region.
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