Chawl

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A chawl is a name for a type of building found in India. They are often 4 to 5 stories with about 10 to 20 tenements, referred to as "kholi"s, on each floor. Many chawls can be found in Mumbai where they were constructed in abundance to house the people migrating to Mumbai because of its booming cotton mills and overall strong economy.

A usual tenement in a chawl consists of one all purposeroom, that functions both as a living and sleeping space, and a kitchen that also serves as a dining room. A frequent practice is for the kitchen to also serve as a a bedroom for a newly married couple, to give them some degree of privacy. Average rents run about Rs. 40 per month, equivalent to about 1 USD, or even lower.^{[citation needed]}

Families on a floor have to share a common block of latrines, each block comprising typically 4 to 5 latrines. Tenements with private bathrooms are highly sought after.

People living in a chawl have little privacy. Due to the close nature of the quarters, trivial news and gossip travels quickly. On the other hand, however, this intimate living situation also leads to a friendly atmosphere, with support networks akin to familial relationships.

The distinctive cultural features that arise from this unique situations have been featured in plays, films and novels^{[citation needed]}.