Enter the past

Kunnathuvilakam tharavad is a proud testimony of vernacular architectural excellence in Southern Kerala

November 03, 2017 04:53 pm | Updated 04:53 pm IST - Thiruvananthapuram

 Sree Narayana Guru stayed in this house when he used to be in the vicinity

Sree Narayana Guru stayed in this house when he used to be in the vicinity

Hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the city, 200-plus-year old Kunnathuvilakam has existed in its serene surroundings in Oruvathilkota even as the State of Kerala came into existence. It existed during the time Sree Narayana Guru was leading a social and spiritual reformation in Kerala. Perched on the edge of paddy fields, surrounded by coconut groves and verdant greenery, it was one of the four or five residences in this predominantly agrarian belt of erstwhile Travancore.

At present, barely three km away from the perennially busy national highway where two malls will come up soon, Kunnathuvilakam continues to exist in its pristine surroundings. However the fields have gone and so has most of the greenery. What remains is the gorgeous, well-maintained structures in teak and anjili, the pride of the family.

 The naalukettu of Kunnathuvilakam

The naalukettu of Kunnathuvilakam

Situated on 15 cents, the two wooden structures are a window to the past when agriculture was the main occupation and wealth was measured in paddy and coconuts. It is also a testimony to the artistic skills of master carpenters who embellished each piece of work they did with aesthetic finesse.

A padippura , which used to face the vast paddy fields, has been retained. A carved and embellished structure next to the entrance with its moss covered roof must have tempted many to stand and stare at the magnificent view of the surroundings before the concrete jungles took over.

 K.P. Aravindakshan

K.P. Aravindakshan

K.P. Aravindakshan, who stays in a modern house adjacent to the heritage structure, admits he is not sure of the exact period in which the house was built. “It was my mother, Devayani’s ancestral property and she inherited it from her mother. My uncle Krishnan was a follower of Sree Narayana Guru and so I have been told that my uncle used to bring him here whenever he was in the vicinity. He used to enjoy sitting in an easy chair in the verandah and spent time in communion with nature. We consider it a blessing that the Swami stayed in this house. My mother used to tell us that my grandmother would make kanji for him,” recounts the patriarch.

 The padipuura of Kunnathuvilakam

The padipuura of Kunnathuvilakam

A magnificent poomukham is a place to stop and pay homage to those craftsmen of yore. Its mukhappu has been intricately carved with fine work that resembles filigree in wood. As one steps inside, Aravindakshan points out how no two carved flowers adorning the low, wooden ceiling are similar. The wooden structure has two rooms, all made of wood, with stout wooden doors and brass locks. Guests and men were often accommodated in this structure while women, children and elderly members stayed in the naalukettu opposite the ancillary building.

 The mukhapu (ornate gables)

The mukhapu (ornate gables)

Although the yard in between the structures is paved with interlocking bricks, once it was used to thresh sheaves of paddy harvested from their fields.

The naalukettu , again adorned with a mukhappu , ornate charupadi and poomukham , has three rooms that open into the wooden verandah. What is remarkable is that unlike modern rooms, none of the rooms that open into the space outside has any windows. The rooms are quite dark but still cool inside.

 One of the doors of Kunnathuvilakam

One of the doors of Kunnathuvilakam

One of the rooms has been turned into a pooja room and it is opened only on Fridays. A walking stick of Sree Narayana Guru is worshipped along with two canes that were said to have been used be ancestors in the family.

One has to walk around to the side of the house to enter the naalukettu and also access the rooms that open into the interior of the house.

 The ceiling of Kunnathuvilakam house

The ceiling of Kunnathuvilakam house

Sunlight slants into the naalukettu through the opening in the roof. A huge uruli occupies most of the space in the inner courtyard. A small inner verandah facing the naalukettu has a richly worked charupadi while three rooms open into that space and it also a roomy ara for storing grains.

Instructing a caretaker to shine a torch into the dark interiors of the ara , Aravindakshan chuckles: “If you look carefully, you will see a hidden space inside the ara. Long ago, tax was collected in kind and when tax collectors came home, a portion of the paddy was hidden inside the concealed space to reduce the amount that was taken by the government as tax.”

As our eyes get used to the darkness, we could make out the cleverly concealed opening in the wooden panelling that is almost impossible to detect. Light and shadow bring alive the dimly-lit interiors.

He guesses that there must have been a kitchen and other rooms nearby that may have been demolished when the family moved to Pettah. “My father, Padmanabhan, who was known as Pappukutty Muthalali, was a businessman who used to trade in coconut husk. The coconut husk would arrive in Vallakkadavu where we had a warehouse and from there it would be send in boats to Alappuzha, the centre of coir in Kerala,” he remembers.

He recalls his parents staying in a house near their ancestral home during the harvest every year. That house was demolished a few years ago and now the heritage structures are the only buildings on the property. Until 12 years ago, there was paddy cultivation in their fields.

Family members add that they did get several attractive offers for the house from resort owners. So, at present, the two buildings have been brought under a Trust [Devapadmam Trust] that was formed to ensure that Kunnathuvilakam and a sacred groove comprising 35 cents about two km away are not destroyed or sold without the permission and knowledge of all the members of the Trust. “Seven of us siblings are there in the Trust and now our children and grandchildren are also members. Each member pays an annual amount for the upkeep of the structures and for annual poojas at our kavu,” he explains.

“Six years ago, a nephew of mine stayed in the main house for about six months. But as you can see, it would be difficult for a modern family to live in the house now. So, we decided to retain it as a heritage structure, as a mark of respect for our ancestors and also to maintain its sanctity as Swamy had graced it with his presence,” he says.

(A column on houses in and around the city that are more than 50 years old)

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.