The architecture of Karnataka
is as varied as its geography, with its verdant coastal
areas to the west; the richly wooded hills of Chikmagalore
and Shimoga; the bamboo forests and plantations of Coorg;
the fertile farm land of the south, the semi-arid zones
of the east and central districts and the vast stony, dry
areas of the north. The name of one of the main districts,
Gulbarga, is said to have come from kalbargi, which means
‘stony land’ or a ‘heap of stones’.
Where the Deccan plateau joins the Nilgiris in the southwestern
region of the state, timber is in abundance.
The domestic architecture of Mangalore, Udipi, Coorg and
Malnad is mainly of wood. Bangalore, the state capital reflects
the colonial influence in its civic buildings and domestic
architecture, the most significant being the British bungalows.
Stone is the major building material for most of North
Karnataka. Mortar is generally mud. A major feature of Northern
Karnataka agricultural homes is the inclusion of a space
for their cows and goats within the home itself.
DakshinaChitra is searching for
the following houses – a stone village house from
Gulbarga district, an agricultural house from the Udipi
or Shimoga area, a Coorg house and an urban bungalow of
mixed Indian and British inspiration. Help in finding these
houses is welcome.
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