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Here stands a village home

The ancestral dwelling of spiritual leader Swami Satchidananda takes one on a journey through time

WELL PRESERVED Reminder of the past photo: K. Ananthan

Driving west, past the British railway suburb of Podanur and vast barren lands through which a new expressway cuts across, you reach a sleepy old village called Chettipalayam.

Today, the village is known more for the vrooming cars flying past it to halt at the Coimbatore Golf Club, the region's only full-fledged course.

A drive inside the village is a very different experience.

You won't find industries or the large institutions that usually dot Coimbatore region.

But magnificent houses that stand as a reminder of a prosperous past.

Today, let's talk about a house, not the most magnificent one, but one with an interesting past that influenced many and made our region proud.

It is neither very large nor does it boast of extraordinary architecture. What is has is quaint Kongu charm. This is the house in which renowned yoga guru and spiritual leader Swami Satchidananda was born.

The son of landed agriculturalist Kalyanasundaram Gounder and Velammai, he was born on December 22, 1914.

The house is today preserved by his devotees and is used to conduct various spiritual and social events.

It was rebuilt in the 1920s, but on the already standing structure.

Some parts of the house were demolished some years ago and only three sections exist. These have been preserved tastefully. A tiled roof protects the entire house.

One has to enter the house through a large doorway, a passage and a rectangular small open court.

The house is typical of any Kongu village dwelling, but what makes it more interesting is the presence of two small thotti-kattu or courts inside, instead of the usual one. Everything else conforms to the time in which it was built. The house has four rooms, one in each corner, and a central hallway.

A passage runs along the walls and the tiled roof rests on wooden columns, with smart carvings.

One is not certain about the wood used, but some of it is possibly teak, because many houses built in that area then used it.

The floor is mostly cemented and the central part is tiled with some kind of handmade cement tiles, resembling modern-day Chettinad tiles.

The rooms have attics and the roof is lined with another layer of tiles from the inside. Another facet of this house is that it retains its original charm.

This is important if the present generation has to understand the feel of the place. Too many modern influences can corrupt the setting of a heritage structure.

This house is special because it is witness to the humble beginning of a great legacy.

Swami Satchidananda is remembered as one of the earliest masters who took our wisdom to the west when America was in the throes of its Hippie culture.

The Swami's work in the area of inter-faith and world peace is globally known.

Today, a branch of the Integral Yoga Institute established by the Swami, functions out of the house, imparting knowledge and health for the mind and body.

Heritage structures have many modern uses, but this one, preserved as a relic by the Swami's followers, is indeed different.

(E-mail feedback to cbemetro@thehindu.co.in with `heritage' in the subject line.)

SHANKAR VANAVARAYAR

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