South Asian term, particularly from India and Pakistan, for an underground room or cellar — essentially a basement built for coolness in hot climates. Before air conditioning, wealthy households would retreat to the tahkhana during sweltering summers to escape the heat. These cool underground spaces were practical necessities in Mughal-era architecture and still feature in old havelis and traditional buildings. The word comes from Persian and Urdu.
The old haveli had a tahkhana where the family stored provisions and rested during the peak summer heat.
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(India) An underground room.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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