 Katara is a form of cellular dormitory built around an oblong courtyard; the form originated in Persia, and like many other things Persian and middle-Asian that the Mughals introduced in this subcontinent, this was copied in Northern India, the home of some of the rulers, members of the Royal Court and the nobility.However, the term may have been derived from Arabic word "Katara" which meant colonnaded building, or could be a corrupt French word used for a residential quarter.Other synonyms of it are "Chuttre" (French) and "Chatrra" (Hindi), both meaning "Umbrella", were used for a place that sheltered Pilgrims.