 The
architecture, environment and culture of Kerala
stand in marked contrast to that of Tamil Nadu. Kerala is
blessed with abundant water, verdant forests and rich lands.
Unlike the Tamilian, the Keralite prefers to live isolated
from neighbours in the middle of a plot of land, with privacy
and beautiful tropical vegetation. In Kerala houses, technique,
form and materials are basically the same for all classes
and economic levels. Only size or the addition of more buildings
to a compound separate the rich from the poor.
Kerala’s domestic architecture is punctuated in form
by the religious architecture of its three communities -
the Hindus, Christians and Muslims. While the domestic architecture
of the three communities is similar, small details such
as a cross or a gable distinguish one type from another.
A slight variation in the arrangement of rooms and spaces
according to the social customs of each group, characterises
the differences in the interior. All the Kerala houses at
DakshinaChitra were sold to the
Madras Craft Foundation because the owners wanted to construct
modern houses on their land in place of their traditional
homes.
Within Kerala, there is a clear division of style of architecture
between Malabar in northern Kerala and Travancore in southern
Kerala. Just north of Cochin, extending all the way up north,
are large deposits of laterite. These are used throughout
the Malabar region for the walls and foundations of both
houses and temples. This enabled the Keralite to build double
storeyed homes with the sloped roof in North Kerala. In
southern Kerala, wood was the primary building material
and homes remained primarily single-storeyed until the end
of the 19th century.
The most distinctive visual form of Kerala architecture
is the long, steep sloping roof built to protect the house’s
walls and to withstand the heavy monsoon. The main focus
of traditional Kerala houses is the granary and special
storage spaces, stressing the primacy of agriculture in
the Keralite’s life. Water is plentiful and every
house has its own well. Many have large stone lined agricultural
tanks, which are often used for bathing.
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