2. Agrahaarams (Tamil Brahmin Settlements of Kerala) / Kalapathy Settlements
Brief about the area: The finding of megalithic artifacts
from this area attests to the existence of Paleolithic
settlements in Palakkad. The Aryan invasion, redrawing
of the boundaries, and the protracted drought that
persisted for many years in the Kaveri Delta were some of
the circumstances that led to the large migration of Tamil
Brahmins to Kerala centuries ago. These people dispersed
over the subcontinent, settling in the vicinity of temples.
Sekharipurám was perhaps the first hamlet to be built; it
may have been named in honor for Raja Sekhara Varma
of Palakkad. The acclaimed village of Kalpathyhasalsobeenrecorded.
With a covert plan to overthrow the
Namboodiri Brahmins' rule and authority, the
Palakkad Kings, who were led by K.V. Krishna,
had their own motives for welcoming and
settling these Brahmins in their domain.
Brahmins held positions of power and
influence within the social structure. Nearly 96
agraharams in the district and nearly 18 in the
town of Palakkad are home to people who
clearly blend Tamil Nadu with Keralan
language, culture, and architecture.
Temple scenario in Kalapathy: It was considerably important that all works inside the temple (right from
the pooja ceremonies to the cleaning up) should be conducted only by brahmin.Sotherewasnoscarcityfor
work for: any Brahmin who migrated from the neighboring states and associated themselves with capital.
The administration of the state also offered
them a notable position as they were considered
very trustworthy by the ruling class of the State.
It could be seen that the majority of the Tamil
Brahmins formed the official setup for the King
In case of agraharams, the houses became more
compact, the settlers had to rely upon the temple
pond, which became a focal point and also a
gathering space for people.
3. Socio Culture & Linguistic Aspects
With Hinduism as the major religion, the presiding deities were worshipped at Kshethrams and Ambalams.
Certain gods were the objects of devotion for the Kaavus (used for serpent worship) and Kovils. The district
also has a rich cultural heritage, with these Agraharams giving particular mention to Koothu, Kathakali,
Carnatic music, literature, and poetry. Elephants are paraded during the Vela and Pooram festival, and
the traditional orchestra playing panchavaadhyam (5 musical instruments) is heard. Part and parcel of
the religious zeal characteristic of this region is the Arat festival, Kalpathy Radholsavam. These festivals
mark the coming together of the people from all the nearby villages, a sign of communal interaction these
societies have become a unique blend of the TamilNadu & Kerala Cultures in terms of language, festivals,
art, and communities as supported by several authors- There has been a long debate on the linguistic
background of the Kerala lyers, most Kerala Iyers came to kerala as early as the 13th century, Thus there
constant interaction with Malayalam and Malayalis eventually highly increased the level of
Sanskritization into their Brahmin dialect of Tamil which in itself was sanskritised thus as time flew most
of them started to speak a form of Tamil highly concentrated with Malayalam.
Key points:
The culture of living together and sharing has placed an important role in the everyday life of the
inhabitants of the agraharams.
The matriarchal system of family led to the joint family system. The head of the family was the male
head, the karanavar and the senior most females of the family.
In the case of agraharams the qualities of living together and sharing each other’s space got reflected
in their planning of the settlements.
Majority of the brahmins were employed in the temple as staffs and in the temple kitchen.
Mukkanaiya a sub caste of Iyers were money lenders and were appointed as accountants.
Brahmins being a priestly class were less familiar with farming techniques.
4. Settlement in Kalapathy:
Kalpathy, in Palakkad district, is one of the oldest
Agrahaaram settlements in Kerala, over the years,
Kalpathy has been declared a Heritage village owing
to its rich history and tradition. Kalpathy was built
along the Kalpathy River banks understanding the
significance of river valley culture and following the
settlement pattern of Thanjavur, along the Cauvery
River Basin. Kalpathy river, a perennial water body
that has never dried is rich in water even in the hot
dry summers. This river has acted as a community space since the beginning of the migration.
The settlement pattern of Agraharams is mainly on the gridiron pattern or concentric ring pattern, with
the temple forming the main focus. The settlements were based on the aspects of Vedic town planning
and lifestyle. The houses shared a common wall between them, the streets were narrow and the houses
were characterized by a peculiar Architectural style. The settlements evolved as closely-knit communities
as it was a tendency for people of the same community to settle down together for ensuring safety and
they based their lifestyle of strict religious norms based on principles borrowed from the Vedas was a
tendency for people of the same community to settle down together for ensuring safety and they based
their lifestyle of strict religious norms based on principles borrowed from the Vedas. The Houses are
formed on either side of the street with either single or double storied and traditional pitched roofing.
The streets are narrow and formed an integral extension of the Living space. Water bodies were always
seen in the vicinity of these settlements as the Vedic life recommended both spiritual and physical purity.
“Agraharams:” The name originates
from the fact that the agraharams
have rows of houses on either side
of the road and the temple to the
village god at the center/ an
Agrahaaram can be defined as a
collection or group of houses with the
temple being the central crux or the
focal point. These were introvert
settlements, often open to the members of the particular case group, however within the introvert
settlement there were designed built and open spaces that well catered to the needs of the settlers. Thus,
resembling a garland around the temple. According to the traditional Hindu practice of architecture and
town planning, an agraharam is held to be two rows of houses running north-south on either side of a
road at one end of which would be a temple to Shiva and at the other end, a temple to Vishnu.
5. Location: The occupation and religion determined the settlement's strategic placement. For instance, the
Agraharam settlement's location is determined by the location of the temple, and all of the homes were
constructed in a linear manner rather than the clustered pattern typical of Kerala's traditional architectural
style, creating a garland around the temple.
Spatial planning:
The spatial planning of the Agraharams follows a linear pattern with rooms arranged one after the other.
Narrow lanes were running behind the agraharams, through which the scavengers came and collected
the night soil from agraharam.
According to the traditional Hindu practice of architecture and town-planning, an agraharam is held
to be two rows of houses running north-south on either side of a road at one end of which would be a
temple to Shiva and at the other end, a temple to Vishnu.
In the case of the agraharams the qualities of living together and sharing each other’s space
got reflected in their planning of the settlements and it zoomed down into the architecture of their
houses.
The row of houses is either single or double-storied, with the traditional pitched roof form striking
a significant profile against the sky.
The streets were narrow and formed an integral extension of the ‘living space’.
Water bodies were always seen it the vicinity of these settlements as the Vedic life recommended both
spiritual and physical purity.
The linear division of the plots and the houses which covered almost the whole of the plot area did not
allow its settlers to have the luxury of a separate pond for each house. The settlers depended upon the
temple pond.
Sharing space:
Puramthina, the long-connected verandahs running in
front of all the agraharams.
Puramthina which connected the street and interiors of
the houses, where, often, family members spend most of
their daytime. This became a sort of interaction space
with the street.
The place where religious as well as philosophical
debates were held Puramthina.
Streets
The streets with in the settlements were narrow and not
designed for vehicular transportation.
Streets were also a part of the life of the brahmin communities
as many of the important religious functions and marriages
feasts were conducted in the streets.
6. Design of building:
The spaces inside have spatial purposes, and among them, the occupants' privacy is of the least concern.
Akamthinna: the one unit used as/for storage in/by all the people living in that one block. ( this block
was known as an agaraharm)
Rezhi : the living room (also was at times used as the bedroom by the people)which is also important
because it is where all the religious ceremonies and rituals were conducted
Thalam- it is the space around the courtyard, the place for the sacrificial fire is located here.
Mittam - the courtyard is a part of the rezhi itself and often there is no separation between these two
spaces.
Adukala - is the Kitchen.
Kuchil - these are they rooms located at the extreme end, where the ladies during their menstruation
are housed
Machil - is the attic room this room is assigned for the newly wedded couples.
Kottil - the independent structure located at the extreme end, storage space or cow shed. In the old
days, the agraharams did not have toilets associated with the house and the system of scavengers lanes
thus came into existence.
The planning and architecture of these housing patterns have evolved over time taking
into consideration various parameters like the local climatic conditions, availability of local building
materials and the skill employed in the construction.
A large verandah supported by wooden and stone pillars extended the length of the front of the row
buildings that shared a single wall.
The agraharams are laid up spatially in a linear fashion, with rooms stacked one after another.
A courtyard is also incorporated into the architecture of the agraharams.
These courtyards served as the center of the Brahmin community's religious activities. Sometimes the
backyard was designated as a utility area, and the courtyard was left out.
7. Every home is almost the same, and both wealthy and less wealthy people live in nearly identical
homes that are approximately the same size and shape and coexist peacefully.
They radiate artistry and expertise, a respect for local materials and building science techniques, and
an awareness of culture..
Alteration with time: The settlements of Kalpathy have undergone several modifications due to time.
These changes have occurred due to the following reasons:
1. Modernization with regard to culture and
technology.
2. Renovating the structures has become
necessary due to factors like time and climate
change.
3. The necessity of security and privacy in the
modern world.
4. The switch from thatched to tiled roofs because of their improved functionality and ability to
retain heat.
5. The adoption of agrahams as a security
measure.
6. Ghats that were once utilized for bathing and
water are no longer in use. Verandahs were
made secure with the use of grilled walls, etc.
Conclusion: Certain elements of vernacular architecture have been adopted by the Agrahaarams of Kerala.
Apart from this, though, the Keralan Tamil Brahmin dwellings' spatial arrangement is still distinct and
unaltered. Kerala's influence can also be observed externally in the other socio-cultural facets. The
Agrahaarams have seen many changes in the built environment over the years, but the fundamental structure
and framework have remained constant for centuries, echoing long-forgotten stories of a massive migration
8. that changed the geography in terms of spatial planning. This community is a prime example of one that is
sustainable. Due to contemporary interventions that are typically insensitive to the area's historical character,
the once-heavy residential zone has lost much of its charming traditional charm. Modern building materials
that are incompatible have been used because of a lack of understanding of the historic significance of the
structures and their distinctive construction methods. The contemporary additions adhere to an architectural
style that is at odds with the area's historic attractiveness. Residential streets become business alleyways due
to the significant changes in the land use pattern.
Present Day Issue
Though Kalpathy was tagged as the first heritage village in the State, life has become a misery for those living
there. Though the district administration had clamped restrictions on repairs and alterations of houses in the
Kalpathy Agraharam to protect its heritagevalue,mostofthestructureswerebuiltmanyyearsagoandareinurgentneedof
repair.
According to regulatory guidelines as per heritage village status, “no development, redevelopment,
construction including additions, alterations, repairs, renovations, replacement of special and architectural
features, demolition of any part or whole thereof in respect of any object or buildings in the area should
be allowed except with the prior written recommendation of the Art and Heritage Commission constituted
by the Government under Rule 154 of the Kerala Municipality Building Rule, 1999, in order to conserve
the heritage character of the Kalpathy area and its environment.”
