Page 14 - Apr-Jun 2018

DID YOU KNOW?
Wooden Kerala Wonders Other than the Vaastu Shastra and

other Vedic texts, architecture in
Location: Kerala; Rural and Urban Kerala has also been heavily infl uenced
Physical Factors: Humid Tropical climate by texts like Thachu Shastra,
Manushyalaya-Chandrika – which
The traditional big houses of Kerala are called Nalukettu. is a text dedicated to domestic
These houses were built according to the scientifi c principles architecture.
of the traditional Thachu Shastra.

SHAPE DOORS AND WINDOWS ROOF

Nalukettu houses are Teakwood and Anjili wood were The roofs are sloping, with
rectangular in shape with a used for the construction of the the frame of the roof made of
sloping roof and a courtyard doors and windows. wood, covered with clay roof
in the middle. tiles.

DECORATION
FLOOR The walls of few houses

The fl oor is plastered with are painting with Kerala
red oxide mixed with murals. The murals are
cement. Clay tiles are used usually themed around
for fl ooring as they feel mythology.
cool under the feet. Some
homes also have wooden
fl ooring.
Photo Credits: Mr. T. S. Randhawa, Advisor (INTACH
Knowledge Centre & Information Technology)

ANDHRA PRADESH

LAYOUT Manduva Logili, the
traditional house built
Nadumuttom is the sunken before the 1950s and 60s
central courtyard which have walls made of gummy
is surrounded by an open soils or red bricks and the
veranda. The nomenclature roofs are supported by logs
of the traditional houses of of teakwood or redwood,
Kerala is based on the number covered with red tiles. The
Illustration by: M. Gayathri, VII A, Royal Park School, Salem
of courtyards or quarters roof is supported by several
present. A single courtyard giant wooden pillars. The inside of a typical Manduva Logili has a common hall
house is called nalukettu with a courtyard in the centre and several spacious rooms spanning in all four
(4 quarters), two courtyard directions. The thresholds of the houses are painted yellow and decorated with
homes are called ettukettu (8 colourful designs.
quarters), and four courtyard Vandana, IX, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans Public School, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad; Ilma Qureshi, IX,
homes called patnarukettu (16 Pine Hall School, Dehradun
quarters). Text credits: Kaviya Sree, IX, S.R. M. Hr. Sec. School, Chennai; M. Jagathi, IX, Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan’s Public School Vidyashram, Hyderabad; Aikya, VII, Epistemo Global School,
Hyderabad; Dhruv C. V, IV G, Ryan International School, Sec. 40, Gurgaon

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