The document summarizes the vernacular architecture of Kerala, India. It discusses the main types of houses in Kerala including the wretched humble house, ekasala (single hall house), nalukettu (courtyard house), ettukettu and patinjarukettu (larger courtyard houses for wealthy landlords), and commoner houses. It provides details on the construction materials and layouts of these house types. The ekasala is described as a single rectangular hall partitioned into rooms, while the nalukettu features an internal courtyard layout that can be multiplied. Roof construction methods are also summarized, highlighting the use of local wood and thatching materials in hipped and bent roof designs supported

1. G. L. BAJAJ
GROUP OF INSTITUTIONS
VERNCULAR ARCHITECTURE
SUBMITTED TO –
AR. MONICA SHARMA PANT
SUBMITTED BY –
RIMJHIM AGRAWAL

2. KERALA A state on the southwestern, Malabar
Coast of India.
 Spread over 38,863 km2 (15,005 sq mi)
 It is bordered by Karnataka to the north and
northeast, Tamil Nadu to the east and south, and
the Lakshadweep Sea and Arabian Sea to the west.
 It is divided into 14 districts with the capital
being Thiruvananthapuram.
 Malayalam is the most widely spoken language and
is also the official language of the state.

3. CLIMATE
 With around 120–140 rainy days per year, Kerala
has a wet and maritime tropical climate influenced
by the seasonal heavy rains of the southwest
summer monsoon and northeast winter monsoon.
 Around 65% of the rainfall occurs from June to
August corresponding to the Southwest monsoon,
and the rest from September to December
corresponding to Northeast monsoon.
 Kerala's rainfall averages 2,923 mm (115 in)
annually. Some of Kerala's drier lowland regions
average only 1,250 mm (49 in); the mountains of
the eastern Idukki district receive more than
5,000 mm (197 in) of orographic precipitation.

4. VEGETATION
 As of 2004, over 25% of India's 15,000 plant species are in Kerala. Out of the
4,000 flowering plant species; 1,272 of which are endemic to Kerala, 900
are medicinal, and 159 are threatened.
 In the forests, sonokeling, Dalbergia latifolia, anjili, mullumurikku, Erythrina,
and Cassia number among the more than 1,000 species of trees in Kerala. Other
plants include bamboo, wild black pepper, wild cardamom,
the calamus rattan palm, and aromatic vetiver grass, Vetiveria zizanioides.
 Kerala's fauna are notable for their diversity and high rates of endemism: it
includes 118 species of mammals (1 endemic), 500 species of birds, 189 species of
freshwater fish, 173 species of reptiles (10 of them endemic), and 151 species
of amphibians (36 endemic).
 Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, Nilgiri tahr, common palm civet,
and grizzled giant squirrels are also found in the forests. Reptiles include the king
cobra, viper, python, and mugger crocodile. Kerala's birds include the Malabar
trogon, the great hornbill, Kerala laughing thrush, darter and southern hill myna.
In the lakes, wetlands, and waterways, fish such as kadu; stinging
catfish and choottachi; orange chromide—Etroplus maculatus are found.

6. Agriculture and fisheries
 Kerala produces 97% of the national output of black pepper and
accounts for 85% of the natural rubber in the country.
 Coconut, tea, coffee, cashew, and spices—including
cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg are the main agricultural
products.
 80% of India's export quality cashew kernels are prepared in Kollam.
 The key agricultural staple is rice, with varieties grown in extensive
paddy fields.
 With 590 km of coastal belt, 400,000 hectares of inland water resources
and approximately 220,000 active fishermen, Kerala is one of the leading
producers of fish in India.
 about 1.1 million people earn their livelihood from fishing.
 The waters provide a large variety of fish: pelagic species; 59%, demersal
species; 23%, crustaceans, mollusks and others for 18%.

7. culture
 The culture of Kerala is composite and
cosmopolitan in nature.
 It is synthesis
of Aryan and Dravidian cultures.
 the geographical insularity of Kerala
from the rest of the country has
resulted in the development of a
distinctive lifestyle, art, architecture,
language, literature and social
institutions.
 Over 10,000 festivals are celebrated
in the state every year.

8. • festivals
 Some festivals include
Poorams, the best known of
these being the Thrissur
Pooram. "Elephants,
firework displays and huge
crowds" are the major
attractions of Thrissur
Pooram.
 Other known festivals
are Makaravilakku, Chinakka
thoor Pooram and Nenmara
Vallangi Vela.
 The idol in the temple is
taken out on a procession
around the countryside
atop an elephant.

9. • onam
 Onam is a harvest festival of
Kerela.
 It is a local festival of
Kerala consisting of a four-
day public holidays.
 It is one of the festivals
celebrated with cultural
elements such as Vallam
Kali, Pulikali,
Pookkalam, Thumbi
Thullal and Onavillu.

10. • dance
 Kerala is home to a number
of performance arts.
 These include five classical
dance
forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyatta
m, Koodiyattom, Thullal and
Krishnanattam, which
originated and developed in
the temple. Kerala natanam,
Thirayattam, Kaliyattam,
Theyyam, Koothu
and Padayani are other dance
forms associated with the
temple culture of the region.

11. • music
 Sopana Sangeetham, illustrates the
rich art of Kerala.
 Raga-based renditions known
as sopanam accompany kathakali
performances.
 Melam; including
the paandi and panchari variants, is a
more percussive style of music.
 Panchavadyam is a form of percussion
ensemble, in which artists use five types
of percussion instrument.
 Vadakkan Pattukal, Thekkan
pattukal, Vanchi pattukal, Mappila
Pattukal and Pallipattukal are some folk
music.

12. • food
 Kerala cuisine has a multitude of both vegetarian
and non-vegetarian dishes.
 Rice is a dominant staple that is eaten at all times
of day.
 A majority of the breakfast foods in Kerala are
made out of rice, in one form or the other
(idli, dosa, puttu, appam,
or idiyappam), tapioca preparations, or pulse-
based vada. Accompanied by chutney, kadala,
payasam, payar pappadam, appam, chicken curry,
beef fry, egg masala and fish curry.
 Lunch dishes include rice and curry along
with rasam, pulisherry and sambar.
 Popular snacks include banana chips, yam crisps,
tapioca chips, unniyappam and kuzhalappam.
Seafood specialties include karimeen, prawns,
shrimp and other crustacean dishes.

13. VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE OF KERALA
Types of houses : Veedu
 The wretched humble house (belongs to ordinary folks and tribal people).
 The Ekasala (an I-shaped single rectangular hall house, belongs to farmers).
 The Nalukettu (a courtyard house, belongs to landlords).
 The Ettukettu and Patinjarukettu (much bigger structures, belongs to very rich
landlords).
 Commoner houses (simple ordinary houses in cities and villages).

14. EKSALA
 The houses are usually small and erected to ground level.
 The materials are locally available: bamboo reeds, wooden poles, mud and
local grass or leaves.
 The walls may be made of wattle (bamboo splints woven together and
covered with a mud plaster).
 The roof is made up of wooden poles, bamboo and reed, and is thatched
with grass.
 The rectangular single hall is made of laterite stones, plastered with mud
and cow dung.
 The hall is partitioned into three arrayed rooms, fronted by verandah.
 Middle room is called Ara (grain store) and other rooms are called
kalavara.
 Beneath the Ara there is a semi-basement store called nilavara.

15.  Morphological
development of
single hall house
 The diagram shows three
different morphological paths
of three-arrayed room, which
are the morphology of the
Ekasala (bottom), labour
vernacular houses and Chala
(left), and commoner house (far
left).

16. NALUKETTU
 The Nalukettu can be multiplied to make double Nalukettu (2 courtyards)
and fourfold Nalukettu (4 courtyards).
 The plan or spatial boundaries for certain designs follow patterns that are
prescribed in vastu.
 The north and the east are given foremost importance.
 Ladies room is usually put in north facing south.
 Entrance can be in south or west corner.

19. ETTUKETTU
 Ettukettu is the same architecture
as Nallukettu. Just bigger in size.
 In Ettukettu houses the smaller of
the two quadrangles is located at
about the center of the building
and the larger one in the north,
near the kitchen.

20. COMMONER HOUSE
 Commoner houses are the
houses of common people.
 The plan of these houses is of a
normal house with rooms,
bathrooms, kitchen and living
areas.
 These houses are commonly
found in villages and cities of
kerala.

21. ROOF CONSTRUCTION
 Roofs in kerala houses reflect the
outstanding features of shingle and
bent roof construction.
 Kerala’s roof structure have 3
dimensional space frames.
 The basic structural elements consist
of pair of kazhukol (rafters) resting on
an uttaram (wall plate).
 Pairs of kazhukol will meet on a
montayam (ridge) to make the hipped
roof.
 Pairs of kazhukol would be bound by
horizontal rods going through other
pair of kazhukol.

23. THANK YOU 