UNIT IV VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE

OF SOUTH INDIA
TAMILNADU & KERALA

Ar.G.Antony Jenita M.Arch

Mohamed Sathak Engineering College, Kilakarai

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 CHETTINAD ORIGIN
• The term "Nattukottai Chettiars" means "people with
palatial houses in the countryside". They are also
referred to as "Nagarathars" meaning city dwellers,
as they lived in a city called Poompuhar on the
east coast of Tamil Nadu, a part of which went
under the sea.
• Money lending and gem trading through out
South Asian countries. S o their architecture is a
fusion of all styles

CHETTINAD HISTORY
• Chettiar houses are found today in seventy six
villages located in Pudukottai, Pasumpom
Muthuramalingam and Sivaganga districts.
• The Chettiars originated from a place called
Nagamandu but later moved to Kaveripoompattinam.
• In the later years they had a feud with the Chola king
who was then ruiling that place and decided to move
to the Pandia kingdom.
• They settled down in Sivagangai which later came to
be known as Chettinad

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• These ‘CHETTINAD HOUSES’ are a real
piece of workmanship and a feast to one’s
eye.
• They are a sign of successful joint families.
• Most of these houses were built 1 5 0 years back
but are still standing strong.
• CHETTINAD HOUSES –
Typically a Mansion,
for the livings of
CHETTIARS, as joint
families

EVOLUTION

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 EVOLUTION OF CONCEPT

OCCUPATION DESIRES& CUSTOMS

TRADE& BANKING GUESTS & AGRICULTURE SECURITY OF FESTIVALS &

SUPPORTERS LADIES OCCASIONS

STORAGE FOR GRAIN STORAGE

DOCUMENTS & ACCOMODATION & FOOD
VALUABLES

FOOD &
CEREMONY
SELF CONTENT
FRONT ROOM &
BHOJANA HALL
LOFT ABOVE SIDE
ROOMS & KITCHEN

STORE ROOMS
DISCUSSION &
ULLARAI &
MEETING
VELLIARAI
DINING & STAYING
INTROVED ROOMS FOR GUESTS
PLANNING
THINNAI &
PATHALIS

CLIMATIC ANALYSIS

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INSULATION FROM
THE SUN

• Sivaganga, albeit Chettinad, is one hot, dusty, and dry

place. And it is perhaps this scorching heat which drove
the native Chettiars overseas, to make a living.
• High ceilings, special Chettinad wall plasters, Athangudi
floor tiles and open courtyards were characteristic of
Chettinad buildings .

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 GENERAL FEATURES OF A
CHETTINAD HOUSE
• With vast spaces, high ceilings and courtyards, the
Chettinad houses were all mansions, mostly.
• These houses were built on rectangular plots.
• Curiously, the houses were so vast that most of them
stretched between two streets, the front door opening
into one street and the back into the next street.
• Linearly designed, that if you were to enter a Chettinad
house, the architectural design compels your gaze
along a straight line from the door, through a series of
inner courtyards, ending at the back door. Thus, the
breeze, whenever there was any, never got broken.

• The Mangalore tiled, double layered roof, and the

high ceilings insulated the inside air from the
scorching sun outside, even while the Athangudi
tiles gave you cool floors to walk on .
• The Chettinad houses were conceived as
fortresses, guarding both valuables and the even
more valuable, cool air.
• The heavy and elaborately carved front doors, with
images of deities,, from the shiploads of Burmese
teak, of course , sometimes had precious gems
inlayed on it.

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 CHARACTERISTIC FEATURE OF
CHETTINAD BUILDINGS
1. Cluster Houses: Better drainage and sanitary facilities
and for better road network

2. Mostly East West orientation: The fact the sun is lower

in the sky in Winter than in Summer allows us to plan and
construct buildings that capture that free heat in Winter
and reject the heat in Summer.
Facing the long axis of a house east-west, so that wall
areas receiving hot morning and afternoon sun are
minimised.

• Aligning the north side of the house to receive

direct sunlight in winter when the sun is in the
northern sky, allowing passive indoor heating
through windows.
• Having eaves shade windows and walls to stop
them heating up in summertime when the sun is
directly overhead.

3 . High – rise compound

wall (front side) for
Security reasons and
elevated plinth

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4. ENTRANCE ARCH with stone steps

5.ELEVATED PLINTH: 7-8ft high to Avoid flooding.

Foundation is raised to 7ft,and built from locally
available red stones.this later became an aesthetic
element , adding prominence to the building

WALL THICKNESS :- One and half feet filled with

lime mortar and brick

6.TILED PORTICO: Italian tiles and

Athangudi Tiles (A Superb hand made
product made in the nearby village of
Atangudi. It was sand, local water cement
and Pigments. Its patterns are simple
unique and tiles floor very cool to walk on)

7.FACADE WITH STUCCO SCULPTURES:

inspired from many countries where they did
trade. They had sculptures inspired from
various themes across the world

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8. VERANDAH ‘THINNAI’(TWO PLATFORMS)- The thinnai is a long
narrow raised platform that serves as a meeting place and also
as a kind of accomodation for travellers and visitors

9. WOODEN PILLARS on it,Made out of granite/teakwood

entrance leads to the imposing main door, usually made of
wood(burma teak) with extraordinarily intricate carvings of
mythological figures

10.HIGH DOOR FRAME with ornate

wood work (coffered door)

11.DOUBLE MAIN DOOR: for wider

span and strength.

12.‘pattalai’ (smaller version of the

thinnai- platforms). Used as living
space.

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13.OPEN COURTYARD (‘Mutram – Valavu’) serves as the
venue for many ceremonies that the community
performs from births to weddings and death.

14.SECOND /THIRD COURT YARDS, used for dining and it

also acts as a relaxation room for women folk

15.PASSAGE on all the four sides around the Mutram, is

called ‘Suththupathi’ which is used to access different
rooms. The suththupathi is generally made of mangalore
tiles.

16.EDGES OF THE PASSAGES are lined with cut stone

slabs known as ‘vellaikkallu’

17 . Stand on them are the stone pillars meant for

supporting the roof.

18. SLANTING CLAY - tiled roofs

19.SQUARE – flat tiles floor of the

‘mutram’ will have rectangle stone slabs
on all the four corners to bear the brunt
mangalore tile and it is connected to a
gutter through which rain water is
collected.

20.SMALL SINGLE /DOUBLE ROOMS

on one side or either side of the
passage (‘suththukkattu’) length

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21.KITCHEN is located in the rearer end of the house called as kattu
22. Staircase is mostly located in the corner of the house
23. Banquet Hall Bhojan Hall ‘Panthi kattu’ on the side of the first
kattu
24. Floors laid with
i) Italian marble Black and White,
ii) Granite in some places,
iii) Athangudi hand – made tiles - ‘Pookkallu’,
25.Japanese and Spanish tiles were both used for side walls and
floor in such of those places where not treaded frequently

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 Back (female) section of house:
11. Mutram: courtyard, roofed or
semi-covered
1 2 . Talvaram: corridor
13 . Kalanjiyam: store room
14 . Samaiyal arai: kitchen
15 . Pin kattu: backyard
16 . Keni: well

Front (male) section of house: Central, ceremonial section of house:

1. Munn arai: front room
2. Mutrram: courtyard
3. Talvaram: corridor
4. Kalyana kottakai: marriage hall
5. Patakasalai, tinnai: the "public" room
6. Bhojana salai: dining hall
7. Veliarai: outer room
8. Ullarai: inner room
9. Irantam maiya arai: second central hall
10 . Mutram: courtyard, roofed or covered with grill
work.

COURTYARD S
• The Chettinad houses were built taking into consideration the
locale they were to be built in.
• The huge houses with high ceilings and open courtyards ensured
that there was excellent air circulation which has been campaigning
for conservation of heritage architecture.
• Most Chettinad houses have two floors and huge ceilings, which
mean that the ground floor and the inner courtyards stay cool
always, insulated from the sun.

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 SUPER PLASTER
• It seems miraculous. Even today, hundreds of years after they were
laid.
• The Chettiars had the plaster made from an elaborate c oncoction of
roots,yolk and lime that made the Chettinad walls glossy, smoother,
cool and washable.
• Tragically, nobody in the present has the formula for this wonderful
plaster called the Chettinad plaster.
• The flooring was generally of Italian marble or locally crafted cool to
the skin Athangudi tiles with their earthy hues ranging from burgundy,
ocean blue, mustard-yellow and black.
• The Chettiars also borrowed turrets and other architectural
memorabilia from their travels abroad and recreated it on their
Mangalore tiled roofs insert with designer tiles.

• The plaster involves the application of the finely ground

mixture of powdered shell, lime, jaggery and spices
including gallnut (myrobalan) to walls.

• This technique keeps the interior of the house cool during

the hot and humid Indian summers and lasts a lifetime.

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 SERVICES

In present days…

• It is not practically possible now to build authentic Chettinad style houses in

Chennai due to space constraints but elements of this style, like the high
ceilings, pillar framework and so on can be incorporated in contemporary
architecture to great effect, by way of both aesthetics and functionality .
• Today, the Chettinad houses of Sivaganga - carved doors, massive pillars, and
even the silken plastered walls are being dismantled and sold in pieces,
augured by a worldwide awe and demand for the Chettinad grandeur

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Example: A Modern Residence in
Chettinad style

Practically possible elements like

courtyard, tiles, pillars are incorparated
in this residence

AGRAHARAMS

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AGRAHARAMS
• Agaro harscha harischa, the meaning is temple on either side
defines the colony of Brahmins residing place as the one
where Temples are located on either side of the locality.

• AGRAHARAM - A garland of houses.

• Thus an AGRAHARAM could be translated as a collection or

a grouping of houses or a community or a settlement with
the temple being the central crux with the houses around it
literally forming the first and the most important segment.

• Originating from South India, the Iyers were initially

confined to the state of Tamil Nadu and later they
migrated and settled down in various parts of Kerala and
Tamil Nadu.
• They integrated and adapted themselves to their
newfound territory and consciously created an identity of
their own – popularly categorized as Brahmins, Iyers or
Pattars

Form and Pattern

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Climatic aspects of Agraharams
• Row housing pattern reduces the exposure of the external wall
surfaces to sun as the house share a common wall
• The movement of warm air around the house is minimized and
helps to keep the interior cool and comfort
• Direct openings and large volumes are avoided
• Street side- where walls are exposed to direct sun or rain the
use of thinnai and pandhal provide shade and protection.
• The roof has steep pitches with an angle of 45degree to drain
rain water efficiently
• In these the country tiled roofs, the successive layers of tiling
traps the heat and gives effective heat insulation.

• The entire unit was kept symmetrical about an axis

to aid the sharing and division of spaces across
the main hall for the joint family members.
• The concept of the central open space served the
purpose of bringing in the lig ht, ventilation and
the draining of rain water to the exteriors or to the
well for adequate recharge.
• The whole exercise of architecture was an energy
efficient, eco- conscious and a scientific
technique that these inhabitants had followed.

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 Form and Pattern
• The form of these agraharams could be understood as a
derivative of a grid pattern, with the temple forming the main
focus.
• The row of houses (tube houses) is either single or 2
storied with the traditional pitched roof striking a significant
profile against the sky – the imageability context.
• The car street (therveedhi) facilitates the chariot festival
(ratholsavam, ratha=chariot, utsavam=festival)
• With the main streets being wide enough for the religious
activity.
• Linear in organisation, the culmination point being the
temple as the early settlements were by the priests who
were Vedic scholars who attached themselves to the
religious activities

The temple tank forms an interactive community space with the

Peepal tree (sthalavriksham) forming another focal element.

SPATIAL ORGANISATION
• The house of the Brahmins perfectly fits the laws of linear
organisation with a clear demarcation of spaces as
public, semi-public and private areas.

• The porch (thinnai) forms the semi public space – a

transition from the public arena (theruvu – street) to the
realms of the habitable space – the house.
• The arai, is the store and the pathayam (granary) or the
grain store is a take – off from the Kerala style

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 ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERS
• The agraharams were constructed according to its own principles of
architecture.
• Each house opened out into the street and each had a vasal thinnai,
which led to the ul-thinnai, rezhi (central room/ nadukattu), thazhvaram,
adukkalai and kottil.
• Many of the agraharams had small inner courtyards, which provided
adequate daylight to the rooms.
• Spaces are compact.
• Houses are constructed in row type with common wall construction.
• The occupants own the eastern wall of the house whereas the western
wall under the ownership of neighbour.
• G+1 or G+2 height.
• Width of the plot – 10’ or 15’ minimum mostly.

BASIC PLAN
COURTYARD

KITCHEN

ROOM

HALL
POOJA ROOM
STAIRS LEADING UP

THINNAI

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Flow of spaces

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 The Agraharam architecture is found to have linear planning, in
contrast to the arrangement of rooms around a central courtyard
as found in traditional Kerala houses, has the following structures:
• Thinnai – The long pillared corridor/verandah
running in front of the Agraharam. A space
meant for community gathering.

• Mittam/Muttam – The courtyard of the house

that ensures easy ventillation and ample light.
Some houses have 2 such courtyard and the
central one is called Nadumuttam.

• Nadukattu/Rezhi – The central

room in Agraharam house, where it
acts as a living room and for
important religious ceremonies
and rituals. (Rezhi in Malayalam)
• Samayalkattu – The kitchen.
• Machhil – The attic where privacy
was best in a communal living
household.
• Kollai – The backyard where a well
is situated, the scavengers
accessed the lane and the toilets
were present here.

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 MATERIALS

• Stone, timber, burnt and unburnt brick, terracotta tiles

and lime.
• Structural members columns, beams, frames – mostly
of wood
• Rafters and posters – casuarina
• Kadukkai and jaggerry – weathering course
• Clay from the river banks.

MADRAS TERRACE ROOF

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 Clear Storey Windows
It is used for lighting the interiors of the house
The darkness due to linearity is solved by clear storey in
the house

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WOODEN ROOF CONSTRUCTION

(wooden wall)

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 Trivandrum

Three Types of Chala

All Chalas show typical spatial configurations of living and inner
space

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 Morphological Development of
Single Hall House
The diagram shows three different
morphological paths of three-
arrayed rooms, which are the
morphology of the Ekasala
(bottom), labor vernacular houses
and Chala (left) ; and Commoner
houses (far left)

 (upper- left) The Ekasala of North

Kerala. Mostly they are shingle
hipped roof houses
 (upper-right) The Ekasala of South
Kerala. Mostly they are shingle
bent roof houses
 (bottom) The Kuttikettu or Ekasala
with courtyard extension

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 Central Kerala

North Kerala South Kerala

Three Typical Expression of Nalukettu

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 Typical
Layout of the
Nalukettu
and
Courtyard

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