Sylvia, If you enter the search string "upper roomed" in Google, you will get several hits, many of them dealing with upper roomed and lower roomed houses of colonial Calcutta. This one, a limited preview book called 'Representing Calcutta: Modernity, Nationalism & the Colonial Uncanny' by Swati Chattopadhayaya gives, explains on p. 97 the difference between the two. See http://tinyurl.com/6c6h72 or http://books.google.ca/books?id=VoTYbSBbOxIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22Representing+Calcutta%22&lr=&as_brr=0&ei=_dF6SJO3DISKjAH90riFDA&sig=ACfU3U0S-RsGEc0h1VvCSagHpMaeML5fzg It appears that the lower roomed houses were just the ground floor and a terrace and about 4-5 rooms, all having direct access from the outside and also from the main hall and consequently having a lesser degree of privacy. The upper roomed houses were at least two-storied, having more privacy and more ventilation. These obviously were more pretentious and commanded better prices. The house in Alipore that belonged at one time to Warren Hastings and stands till today and is believed to be hauted by his ghost, is described as 'upper-rooomed'. This description and its photo can be seen at http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000122/windows/main4.htm Pucca or pakka (and a variety of other spellings) refers to its being more permanent, i.e. built of baked bricks, cement, stone etc as opposed to a less permanant structure. This term is in use in civil engineering in India even today. Pucca derives from Sanskrit Pakva, ripe. A ripe fruit, for example, is called 'paka hua' or 'ripened'. The same root gives the verb for anything that is cooked. 'Khana pakana' means cooking food. This meaning, in colonialese, changed to mean something that is very proper, like the Pucca Sahib. Arvind Kolhatkar, Toronto, July 14, 2008.

> even today. Pucca derives from Sanskrit Pakva, ripe. A ripe fruit, for > example, is called 'paka hua' or 'ripened'. The same root gives the verb > for anything that is cooked. 'Khana pakana' means cooking food. This > meaning, in colonialese, changed to mean something that is very proper, > like > the Pucca Sahib. > > Arvind Kolhatkar, Toronto, July 14, 2008. Thanks Arvind - Clears that one up for me. 'Pucca Sahib' ? Ripe or Cooked Gentleman ? An apt description for someone from Blighty who goes , "..... out in the midday sun." Sally (with apologies)

Arvind Thank you very much for that. It has been a great help, particularly the reference to Swati Chattopadhyah's book which I've found is held in libraries here. Have also managed to download a paper she wrote from the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, vol.59, no.2, Jun 2000 "Blurring Boundaries: The Limits of White Town in Colonian Calcutta" which seems to cover the same material as in the relevant chapter of her book. The upper-roomed house now seems to be described. However, the lower-roomed house seems to be much like a bungalow, yet the terms aren't used inerchangeably (bungalow gets a mention on p.120. Could it be that the lower roomed house may be a flat roofed structured, rather than a peaked roof building? This is a rather nice description from the Asiatic Journal, v.13, Jan-June 1822 - it relates to an account of a visit in 1778 to the Tonquinese Mandarin: " ... The Viceroy. He resided at the palace of the Kings of Cochin-China six miles higher up the river than the town I landed at. The palace deserved the name of a good lower-roomed house. The building was laid out in spacious verandahs and private rooms" Anyway, thanks again for your input and stimulating me to search further! Sylvia > -----Original Message----- > From: india-british-raj-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:india-british-raj-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of > Arvind Kolhatkar > Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 2:49 PM > To: india-british-raj@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [INDIA-BRITISH-RAJ] Upper and Lower Roomed > Houses (Puckavariety ofcourse!) > > Sylvia, > > If you enter the search string "upper roomed" in Google, you > will get several hits, many of them dealing with upper roomed > and lower roomed houses of colonial Calcutta. This one, a > limited preview book called 'Representing > Calcutta: Modernity, Nationalism & the Colonial Uncanny' by > Swati Chattopadhayaya gives, explains on p. 97 the difference > between the two. > See http://tinyurl.com/6c6h72 > or > http://books.google.ca/books?id=VoTYbSBbOxIC&printsec=frontcov > er&dq=%22Representing+Calcutta%22&lr=&as_brr=0&ei=_dF6SJO3DISK > jAH90riFDA&sig=ACfU3U0S-RsGEc0h1VvCSagHpMaeML5fzg > > It appears that the lower roomed houses were just the ground > floor and a terrace and about 4-5 rooms, all having direct > access from the outside and also from the main hall and > consequently having a lesser degree of privacy. > The upper roomed houses were at least two-storied, having > more privacy and more ventilation. These obviously were more > pretentious and commanded better prices. The house in > Alipore that belonged at one time to Warren Hastings and > stands till today and is believed to be hauted by his ghost, > is described as 'upper-rooomed'. This description and its > photo can be seen at > http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000122/windows/main4.htm