One of the famous landmarks of Nandagiri Nagar in Akkayyapalem is ‘chekkudurayi’ building. The first-of-its-kind stone-studded façade was built in 1978 by Boddeti Appa Rao (I), a former railway employee and trade union leader.
The attractive building has now turned into a group house where 16 families reside.
With its impressive architecture, the building, located adjacent to the Saibaba temple in the colony, exudes a pristine charm.
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“A lot of hard work had gone into the construction of the structure. From picking up similar stones to interior designing, care was taken in every aspect of the construction,” says B.S. Kanta, daughter of Mr. Appa Rao.
When cyclone Hudhud had ravaged the city on October 12, the residents of ‘chekkudurayi’ building say that they did not face any inconvenience.
“Quality construction techniques helped us stay intact in our homes. All we had to do was to shut the doors and windows and stay indoors for the entire day,” say the residents.
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Besides its rustic appeal, what appears to be unique about the building is its maintenance-free feature.
“The building looks as new as it was three decades ago. It is one big advantage of the stone structure. Apart from feeling absolutely secured during calamities, the stone structure is hassle-free and gets cleaned every time it rains,” adds Ms. Kanta.
Initially, the ‘chekkudurayi’ building had only one floor, apart from the ground floor. In 2007, another floor was added where a total of 16 families live together.