Tradition
is making a comeback amongst millennial today. Fueled by the need to belong and
to be part of a heritage there is a widespread revival of age-old customs
across India. Coloured by sepia-toned memories and a strong sense of nostalgia,
getting ‘back to our roots’ is in vogue, especially among NRIs seeking to buy
properties in India.
This
heightened longing for the good old days has been instrumental in bringing back
many classical architectural styles, and one of them is the nalukettu veedu in
Kerala.
Design of Nalukettu
Nalukettu
means four blocks and a typical house built in this fashion would be divided
into a north, south, east, and west block.
The
naalukettu was a typical feature of the Kerala tharavadu tradition, where joint
families lived together for generations with a patriarch and matriarch
overseeing all their affairs. At the centre of the house is a nadumuttam, which
is an open courtyard that served as the focal point of interactions between the
family as well as various household activities and festivities. The larger and
wealthier families had ettukettu or, the rarer, pathinaarukettu houses featured
eight and 16 blocks with two and four courtyards respectively. All of these
houses were built following the principles of ancient thachu shastra or the
science of carpentry and developed during the 18th and 19th centuries, a time
when the Nairs and Namboodiris dominated the society with their power and
wealth.
These
aristocratic families who prided on their lineage and the name of their tharavadu
would build extensive naalukettu homes that would feature a grove with a snake
mound to facilitate the popular worship of snakes, a basil leaves plant
installation made of stone or brick, and even a pond for the exclusive use of
the family. Naalukettus can be sprawling, entirely built on the ground floor or
can go up to three storeys high.
Rich and intricate
detail
Typically
made of teak wood or the wood from wild jackfruit trees, brick, and mud, these
houses had superior ventilation and lighting that kept the house well lit and
aerated at all times. A padippura is a distinguishing feature atop a naalukettu
gate consisting of an elaborate, temple-like gopuram. The entrance to the house
would have a verandah designed to receive visitors. Inside, the nadumuttam is
surrounded by rooms on all sides like the ara, a special room meant to store
valuables. Granaries, cattle sheds, kitchen and utility, dining halls,
bathrooms, bedrooms, puja rooms, wells and other purpose-built spaces filled
all the corners of a naalukettu. Another feature that showcases the technical
ingenuity of these complex yet very thoughtful structures is the roof. Gabled
windows on the top of all naalukettus ensured cross-ventilation at all times
and let in enough light into the attic while extended rafters gave ample
protection from the heavy rains that are characteristic to Kerala.
A disappearing
heritage
Naalukettu
faded into oblivion as socio-cultural changes swept over Kerala. Education
gained prominence, and more women began migrating from a life led entirely
inside sooty kitchens to the outside world of work and independence. Nuclear
families evolved with men and women settling down wherever work took them
resulting in the breakup of the joint family system. Soon, naalukettus housed only
the elders in the family and the upkeep of such large properties became near
impossible. With the demand for elaborate homes dying, architects lost the
special skill sets required for building these traditional houses.
Today,
only a few of the original naalukettus remain mostly in the form of museums or
heritage homestays.
Modern
constructions now sport some features of the naalukettu style of architecture
like the sloping roof, a small verandah supported by tall pillars, and a mini
courtyard in the middle. Used by not only houses but also restaurants,
ayurvedic spas and other establishments that are traditional to Kerala, the
naalukettu design is now seeing a massive reprise. It is not uncommon to see
naalukettu houses for sale in cities and real estate agencies advertising
low-cost naalukettu houses to customers. And although not as glorious and
rambling as the older naalukettu houses, they are a treat to the eyes.
Courtesy::The Hindu
No comments:
Post a Comment