UNIT IV

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF

SOUTH INDIA
Forms,

spatial

planning,

cultural

aspects,

symbolism, art, colour, materials of construction and

construction

technique,

proportioning

systems,

religious beliefs and practices in the vernacular

architecture of the following: - Kerala: Houses of the
Nair & Namboothri community; Koothambalam,
Padmanabhapuram palace. - Tamil Nadu: Houses and
palaces of the Chettinad region; Agraharams.

ARCHITECTU
RE OF
CHETTINAD

successful Joint Families that

CHETTINAD HOUSES
existed in the older days.
Buildings Are Divided Into
Portions -KATTU.
Each house in chettinad is made
up
of
Mugappu,
Valavu,
Irandankattu,
Moonankattu
&
thottam
MUGAPPU The Reception;
entrance of the house
VALAVU Living Area of the
house
In the valavu, there are 4
platforms that are called as
Pattalai, each at 4 corners of the
valavu.
Pattalai Living halls of each
family
Along
with
Pattalai,
valavu
consists
of
numerous
Irattai
veedu.
Irattai veedu rooms used by

Mugappu" held by
pillars made of
granite
Nadai
Corridor
IRANDANKATTU used for
dining/with
storerooms
for
storing
crockery/kitchenware
MOONAMKATTU
MOONAMKATTU
Kitchen(adukala)
THOTTAM Garden
Stables, cowsheds etc.,

CHETTINAD HOUSE

 The magnificent mansions

in Chettinad are the finest
examples of combinations
of
vernacular
architecture & amalgam
of
South
East
&
European architecture.
architecture
The source of inspiration
derived
from
can
be
attributed
to
their
connection
with
Trade,
Travel, Temples, Tradition
and Taste.
From birth to burial, the
Nagarathars
observed
numerous ceremonies.
All such functions were
held within their own
premises as many of their
palatial
buildings
have
Marriage Halls (Kalyana
Kottagai) and Banquet Hall

The
pillared
corridors
around
the
'valuvu'
(courtyard),
lead
into
individual
rooms,
each
meant for a

The
long
corridors
of
second
kattuused for dining

 Their
villages
were
constructed upon precise and
sophisticated rules of urban
planning, represented namely
by orthogonal streets and
specific
water
management
systems,
which are also directly linked
to the earlier Tamil traditions
of rectangular plots and
houses
with
an
inner
courtyard.
courtyard
The houses, which evolved
over
two
centuries,
are
veritable palaces.
On the ground floor, the
architecture is typically Tamil,
while one can see Western
influences on the higher
floors.
This reflects the Chettiar way
of life, a combination of their
vibrant traditions with the

The marble was brought from

Italy, chandeliers and teak
from Burma, crockery from
Indonesia,
crystals
from
Europe
and
wall-to-wall
mirrors from Belgium.
The
woodwork
and
stonework was inspired that of
the houses in France and other
European destinations.
The
walls
of
Chettinad
Nagarathars
buildings
are
embellished with Chettinad
plaster whose other names
are:
White Vellai poochchu;
Egg plastering;
Muthu Poochchu
Such walls were coated with
several
layers
comprising
mixture of lime base, ground

Thinn
ai
kitche 3rd
2nd
n
Courtyard Courtyard
TYPICAL PLAN OF
A
CHETTINAD
HOUSE
The open aired 'valavu'
(courtyard) with woodenpillared corridors on each
side. The pillars were made
out of Burmese Teak.

1st
Courtyard

Kanakupullais
room

CHETTINAD
HOUSE

15) Passage on all the four

The most important characteristic
features of Chettinad Buildings are sides around the Mutram, is
called Suththupathi,
16) Edges of the passages are
1) Cluster Houses, with
2) (Mostly)East West orientation lined with cut stone slabs
known as Vellaikkallu,
3) High rise compound wall
17) The stone pillars meant
(front side)
for supporting the roof,
4) Entrance Arch with stone
18) Sloping clay - tiled
steps
roofs,
5) Elevated plinth
6) Tiled Portico
7) Facade with stucco sculptures
8) Verandah Thinnai (two
Platforms)
9) Wooden Pillars on it
10) High door frame with ornate
wood work
11)Double
main
door,
12) Pattalai or pattasalai (smaller
version of the thinnai - platforms),
The color-glass arch
13) Open Courtyard (Mutram
flanked by pillars on

27) All the mediums used in

19) Square flat tiles floor of
making columns viz, wood,
the mutram will have rectangle
stone, brick, and iron,
stone slabs on all the four corners
28) First floor facade is invariably
to bear the brunt of the falling
adorned by colonnade made of
rain water,
stone, wood, and bricks,
20) Small single / double
29)
Window
niches
and
rooms on one side or either side
arches above are decorated
of the passage (suththukkattu)
with
stucco
work
or
length wise,
paintings.
21) Kitchen on the last kattu,
30) Designed for collecting /
22) Staircase on one or two or
harvesting
rain
water
all the four corners,
(especially
in
courtyard
23) Banquet Hall Bhojan Hall
(Mutram).
Panthi kattu on the side of the
first kattu,
24) Floors laid with -Italian
marble Black and White,
Granite & Athangudi tiles Pookkallu,
25) Japanese and Spanish tiles
were both used for side walls
Central portion of 'valavu', called
26) Beams, pillars, brackets,

 Chettinad is rich in cultural

heritage,
art
and
architecture, and is well
known
for
its
houses,
embellished with marble
and Burma teak, wide
courtyards,
spacious
rooms, and for its 18th
century mansions.
Local legend tells that their
walls used to be polished
with a paste made out of
egg-whites to give a
smooth texture.
texture
The
construction
material,
decorative
items and furnishings
were mostly imported from
East Asian countries and

The Reception area - Chettinad House

with imported Italian Marble flooring

Extensively carved Wooden Ceiling of a

Chettinad mansion

CLIMATIC RESPONSE IN CHETTINAD

HOUSE

FAMILY SYSTEM

Entrance

Womens
Courtyard

Main
Outdoor tinnai Kitchen Courtyard Courtyard
Men-Business

Inner tinnai

Womens
Kitchen Courtyard
Courtyard
Servants-Quarters
Women-Chettiars

The Hall

The Pillared Verandah

Moonamkattu the kitchen courtyard

courtyard

Elements of Architecture
Columns
concrete
figure
balustrades parapets
and cornices
Wooden carving
features
Stuccos and
wall
painting
Roofscape
Arches and
porches

COLUMNS
AND
CAPITALS

COLUMNS
Two main
types of column are
specific to Chettiar
houses: The
wooden columns are mainly used for
inside areas and stone pillars
for
the courtyards (main or kitchen). In a
later period, granite pillars were
used in the outdoor tinnai. The
elegance of the shaped wooden
columns is very typical of chettinad.

Typical section with location of typologies of columns

Wooden frames with lots of intricate works are most

commonly seen in chettinad style
They use burma teak woods in order to enclose the
openings

CONCRETE FIGURE
Every house is embellished with concrete figures. Front
faades were subject to particular attention and one can see
different themes of inspiration: Deities, such as Gajalaxmi,
Lord Shiva or Lord Krishna; kings and queens, rajas and ranis,
British soldiers, hunters, or allegorical representations of
fauna and floral Hunter
and his
prey

Raja and Rani

Ornamental
elements

Dieties: Laxmi
and Lord
Krishna

Balustrades, parapets and Cornices are very much part of

the architectural identity Of the region. The stucco Cornices
create elegant Lines around the walls Which follow the
different Levels and pavilions of the house. Different layers of
Balustrades and parapets Increase the grandeur of these huge
mansions, Giving them a palatial dimension. These particular
Elements of architecture Are mostly made of Chettinad plaster
with Delicate combinations of natural colours.

WOODEN CARVING FEATURES

The Chettiars used to
bring teak from Burma
back to their country
(nadu) during their
economic expansion in
eastern asia.
Above: Imposts wood work
Tops of pillars,
carving
door frames,door
Left: Main door from
and window imposts
1870s
and ceilings were
Below: Sophisticate
delicately carved
wooden top column
with great
inspiration:
Goddesses, Yallis,
flora and fauna and
geometry are
present in every

STUCCOS AND WALL PAINTINGS

Chettinad plaster is very famous for
its soft texture and appearance.
This particular material is made of
sea shell lime and eggs. It is the last stage in
a long process of wall finishing.
The bricks are coated with different
layers of white lime mortars, then finished
with lime plaster. The Chettinad plaster is
the last layer which gives both softness and
hardness as well as brightness and coolness
to the walls.

Paintings on door or window transom,

friezes along the cornices and so on,
combine both aesthetic and spiritual

ROOFSCAPE
Chettinad roofs have great
importance as a tool for
collecting rainwater and for
air cooling. The repetition
of
rectangular
plots,
positioned in accordance
with
the
major
axes
East/West and North/South,
the organization of the
houses
in
successive
courtyards
and
the
hierarchy of the pavilions
with sloping and terrace
roofs has created a specific
roofscape.

ARCHES & PORCHES

The rural landscape of

the Chettinad region is
marked by a series of
elegant arches on the
main roads that go
around the villages.
Each house has an
imposing entrance
porch at the level of
compound wall
showcasing the wealth
and the social status of
the owner

PARAPETS,
CORNICES &
PILLARS /
COLUMNS

Use of animal motifs for

brackets

intricate poetry on
wood- richly carved
doorway
Wooden

Elaborate wooden ceiling in a

mansion

Pillars/
Column
s

Parapets/
Cornices
The rich and
intricate
detailing of the
parapets
and
cornices across
the houses of
chettinad

The colorful Belgian

Glasswork

Windows

STUCCOWORK
Stucco work was used on the interior & exterior
walls; stucco sculptural work was employed on the
entrance tower, faade, railing wall & compound
wall.
Images of God, goddess, angels, flora and fauna
are generally portrayed by using the medium of
stucco.
The icons of Gods/Goddesses- Gaja Lakshmi,
Meenakshi Sundareswarar,Shiva Parvathi on
Rishaba bull was
often a repeated symbolizes
theme in
Gajalakshmi
Chettinad.
protection and prosperity while
Shiva Parvathi pair represents
happy family life.
Stucco
WorkArchitectur
e
cum
Sculpture
Stucco-work

CLIMATE RESPONSIVENESS
MAIN COURTYARD Prime place for
interaction ; Since, Chettinad is a hot
and semi-arid region, The climate
was taken into consideration in the
design of their homes and the
materials used.
The houses were built around an
East/West
central
courtyard
which brings shade, light, coolness
and air to the entire home.
BUILDING MATERIALS USED - The
materials used for construction and
the essential components of this
luxury home are brick and lime
plaster walls, terracotta tiled roofs,
stone pillars, teak columns, and
marble and stone floors.
floors
ROOFING - The roof is terracotta
tiled which helps in shutting out the
immense heat; as chettinad is a hot
and arid region.

TYPICAL NAGARATHAR
HOUSES
Most
Chettiar mansions comprised

of a Public Reception Area

Abutting the Street.
The basic floor plan of a Chettinad
house consists of an outside
verandah (thinnai) for guests,
with a room for conducting
business on one or both ends;
an interior courtyard to be used in
ceremonies, with a raised seating
area at one or both ends;
a series of small double rooms
opening off the main courtyard,
for storage, prayer and sleeping
and a small courtyard behind for
cooking and for the women to
socialize.
The
Chettinad
houses
were
usually tile-roofed with a small
two-storeyed tower at both ends

They
later
expanded
vertically into two-storeyed
structures, and horizontally
through the addition of
numerous
halls
and
courtyards
that
could
accommodate guests at
marriages
and
other
ceremonies.
The rear hall served as the
womens domain where
the
women
of
the
community reared children,
engaged
in
food
preservation
and
went
about
other
domestic
activities.

 Chettinad architecture stands out for its use of large spaces in

halls and courtyards, ornate embellishments like Belgian
glasswork, intricate woodwork, spectacular ceramic tiles, stone,
iron and wooden pillars like nothing else that can be seen in this
part of the world.

Italian Tiles

Front (Male) Section of

House
1.Munn arai:Front Room
2.Murram:Courtyard
3.Talvaram:Corridor
Central, Ceremonial Section of
House
4.Kalyana kottakai:Marriage
Hall
5.Patakasalai, tinnai:the
"Public" Room in a house
6.Bhojana salai:Dining hall
7.Veliarai:Outer Room
8.Ullarai:Inner Room
9.Irantam maiya arai:Second
Central Hall
10.Murram:Courtyard, roofed
Back (Female) Section of
House
11.Murram:Courtyard, roofed
or covered with grill work
12.Talvaram:Corridor
13.Kalanjiyam:Store Room
14.Samaiyal arai:Kitchen

NAGARTHAR HOUSE- plan

THE PALATIAL HOMES

These different architectural influences reflect the way of life of
the Chettiars, who knew how to combine their vibrant traditions with
influences from the global economy.

The planning style has also evolved over decades. Pavilions,

halls and courtyards were added for business purposes and as areas
for receptions and weddings, making these traditional houses real
palatial homes

Axonometric projection
Many of these houses have
evolved over nearly two
centuries and are veritable
palaces. Constructed on
mounds, they feature
verandas, reception halls and
court room situated along a
longitudinal axis. This
organization mirrors the
structure of the society and the
rules of the community.

RAJAs Palace
KANADUKATHAN

 The
Chettinad
Rajas
Palace,
home
of
the
Chettiar family, was built in
1912.
The pillars around the
courtyard are in Burma
teak,
and
there
is
picturesque combination of
scarlet tiles and sloping
woodwork.
The
construction
material,
decor
items
and
furnishings were mostly
imported, from east Asian
countries and also from
Europe where the Raja
Chettiyar had spread his
sprawling business .
The woodwork and stone
work were inspired by
French and other European

The elegant wooden bracketing

Mugappu - belgium glasswork

Imported
Unique
columns

Italian
chandeliersdecorated
wooden

The Central courtyard is used

weddings and religious ceremonies.

for

The third courtyard

Entranc
e Hall
The elegant Dining Hall