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As Europe swelters through one of its most intense heatwaves on record, temperatures have climbed to 41°C in parts of the continent. London recorded 36.1°C, among its highest temperatures ever.
The scorching conditions prompted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to remark, “London isn’t just calling. It’s cooking.”
While Europe struggles to adapt to extreme heat, India has lived with such temperatures for centuries. Today, however, climate change has made Indian summers even harsher, with heatwaves arriving as early as March instead of May. For millions, air conditioners have become the only refuge, while those who can afford it escape to cooler hill destinations.
Ironically, more than a century before air conditioning became commonplace, British
colonial administrators had already developed ingenious ways to survive India’s brutal summers.
When the British first arrived in the subcontinent, where temperatures routinely crossed 40°C, the heat came as a shock. Long before electricity and cooling appliances, staying alive through the summer was considered an essential part of colonial life.
Here’s how they did it.
Escape To The Hills
The British quickly realised that the easiest way to survive the summer was simply to leave the plains. They established hill stations such as Shimla, Darjeeling, Mussoorie and Ooty, where the higher altitude offered significantly cooler weather.
The migration eventually became institutionalised. Every summer, the colonial administration shifted thousands of officials, clerks and government records from cities such as Calcutta (now Kolkata) and later Delhi to Shimla, which served as the summer capital of British India.
For nearly six months each year, the Himalayan town became the centre of governance, politics and social life for the British Empire in India.
Homes Designed To Fight the Heat
Those who remained in the plains depended on architecture rather than machines. British homes in India borrowed heavily from traditional Indian designs, giving rise to the iconic bungalow.
These houses featured thick brick walls that insulated interiors from the outside heat, while exceptionally high ceilings allowed hot air to rise above living spaces.
Wide verandas surrounded the buildings, shielding walls from direct sunlight and keeping rooms cooler throughout the day. Many houses were also carefully aligned to capture prevailing winds while avoiding harsh morning and afternoon sunshine.
Before Ceiling Fans Came The ‘Punkha’
Long before electric fans became common, the British relied on the punkha—a large cloth fan suspended from the ceiling. Unlike modern fans, it required human labour.
Servants known as punkhawallahs sat outside the room and continuously pulled ropes connected through pulleys, swinging the fan back and forth to create a steady breeze. They worked in shifts, often throughout the night, allowing officials to sleep despite the oppressive heat.
As one 19th-century colonial diary observed: “The punkha is the life-support system of the European in India. Without it, sleep is impossible, and thoughts melt away.”
Nature’s Air Conditioner: Khas-Khas Mats
Perhaps the most effective cooling system came from an Indian innovation. Doors and windows were covered with woven mats made from vetiver (khas-khas) roots.
Servants regularly poured water over these mats. As hot summer winds passed through the damp grass, evaporation cooled the incoming air before it entered the house.
The system could lower indoor temperatures by several degrees while filling rooms with the distinctive earthy fragrance of vetiver. The technique later inspired the modern desert cooler.
Many of these techniques—thick walls, shaded verandas, natural ventilation and evaporative cooling—are now being rediscovered by architects designing climate-resilient buildings.
As heatwaves become more frequent and intense across Europe and Asia alike, some of the oldest solutions to surviving extreme temperatures may once again prove to be among the most effective.
