This document provides an overview of traditional wooden architecture in South Asia and India. It discusses how vernacular architecture is shaped by local context and materials to provide shelter while withstanding local weather and climate. Examples mentioned include courtyard houses, mud houses, and igloos. The document also summarizes key features of religious wooden architecture in Kerala, South India, including temples, mosques, and a historic education center. Traditional buildings are designed for functionality as well as spiritual significance through architectural elements like courtyards, shrines, and prayer halls.

1. Wooden Architecture
in the South Asian and
Indian Context
1
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2. wooden architecture of kerala
16 17
wooden architecture in the south asian and indian context
Introduction to Traditional Architecture
Traditional, vernacular and folk architecture not only
provide people with shelter but also help societies
forge notions and ideas related to home, neighbour-
hood and settlement. Many cities and settlements
in Asia are shaped by traditional architecture and
its related genres. Medieval cities, entirely made up
of traditional architecture, are common the world
over. Most of these cities are functioning and their
traditional building types are in use to this day.
Some are minimally affected by modernization (see
Figs 1.1–1.3) while others have transformed
dramatically. Nonetheless, the stock of such
architecture and the resulting urbanity sustain
millions of human beings in many societies.
Settlements in deserts, on waterways, in thick jungles
and on high mountains, each have characteristics of
their own well rooted in their local context. Siena
and Alberobello in Italy, Jaisalmer in India, Siwa1
in
Sahara and Canada’s Central Arctic and Greenland’s
Thule region, embody the diversity in architecture
and settlement form that humankind has forged
to sustain its existence. The size of buildings, use
of local materials and construction techniques,
simple ideas to combat weather and the pursuit
of appealing outward appearances are common
to most examples. For instance, an igloo typifies
a vernacular architecture in which building form,
orientation, materials and construction technique
are in total harmony with climate and lifestyle. Thus,
one can see in vernacular architecture, the materials
and techniques are contextual to geo-climatic forces.
There are similar examples in other climates and
cultures, such as a traditional courtyard house in
Jaisalmer or a mud house in Siwa. The storage places
for critical resources such as water and grains are
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fig. 1.1 Carved wooden
icons articulating the floor
structure and the parapet
at the corner of a haveli’s
courtyard in Vaso, Gujarat
above left
fig. 1.2 Bamboo-
reinforced and mud-
plastered grain containers
and cow dung flooring in a
Gujarati rural house.
above right
fig. 1.3 Bamboo grain
-storage baskets of
ādivāsis in Panchmahal,
Gujarat.
below
fig. 1.4 Rudimentary
temporary shelter of a
Charan family in Gujarat.
“The model itself is the result of the collaboration of many people over
many generations as well as the collaboration between makers and
usersofbuildingsandotherartefacts,whichiswhatismeantbytheterm
traditional. . . . Tradition has the force of a law honoured by everyone
through collective assent. It is thus accepted and obeyed, since respect
for tradition gives collective control, which acts as a discipline. This
approach works because there is a shared image of life, an accepted
model of buildings, a small number of building types, and, finally, an
accepted hierarchy and hence an accepted settlement pattern.”
—Amos Rapoport, House Form and Culture
© Mapin Publishing

3. wooden architecture of kerala
82 83
religious architecture of kerala
vilakkumādam (wooden grill that holds lamps)
enclosing the space. On special occasions, all the
lamps in the wall are lit, creating a spectacular sight.
A number of temple functions like the making
of garlands and garments for the deity and the
preparation of various items used for the rituals are
conducted inside the nālambalam. A section of
the columned space to the east of the main shrine
contains a mini-koothambalam or a make-do theatre,
since the temple did not have a large independent
structure for performances. The kitchen was initially
located in the northeast corner of the nālambalam,
but was later shifted to the southeast—a correction
made after referring to the Vāstushāstra. A subsidiary
shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva is placed to the south
of the main shrine. The pradakshina, a necessary part
of the ritual sequence, is done along a demarcated
path between the nālambalam and the srikovil. The
path wraps around a number of smaller balikkallus,
each dedicated to a specific deity.
fig. 3.17 A section showing
the inner shrine of the main
deity and the path of the
sacred water through the
praṇāla. Sri Durga Devi
Temple, Kumaranallur.
fig. 3.18 Section
through the roof of the
namaskāramanḍapa in
front of the main shrine.
Sri Durga Devi Temple,
Kumaranallur.
The nālambalam, as a ring of the akathe balivattam,
enclosesthecourtyardthathousesthesrikovilfronted
by the namaskāramandapa (salutation pavilion; see
Fig. 3.20). The srikovil in Kumaranallur is circular23
in plan with a square shrine within its centre; it is a
nirandhāra plan (a layout without the ambulatory
path around the sanctum sanctorum) with a
double shikhara roof.24
The srikovil as seen from the
outside actually enshrines a smaller structure, the
main shrine, within which resides the main deity.
The concept of building within a building and that
of a double roof is intriguing and is found in many
instances of Keralan architecture. In local practice,
the plinth with its own order is made of black trap, a
hardstone,atopwhichisthecircularwallofplastered
laterite masonry. The balustrade of the steps and the
pranāla (spout that disposes off the water used for
abhisheka ritual in the sanctum) (see Fig. 3.19) are
the two other typical elements of architectural pride.
They are fashioned skilfully in granite. The grīvā
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4. wooden architecture of kerala
86 87
are located in the courtyard formed by the four
wings within the lamp-wall. The covered platforms
on the long side are used for sundry activities and the
wider platform on the entrance side constitutes the
main congregational space. The rear platform has the
kitchen and open storage. The temple well is located
in the southwest corner. The roofs over the side and
rear wings are much lower than the one in the front.
All the wings, along with their platforms, open into
the courtyard. The entire assembly spatially responds
to the namaskāramandapa and the shrine. This
produces a sense of transparency in which the overall
scale imbues it with a mystic spiritual ambience. A
couple of subsidiary shrines and sacred trees stand
inconspicuously around the temple; however, a
large wild fig tree, which can be seen from the main
road, marks the temple’s presence. The Krishna
temple represents the most essential components
and typical configuration of this temple type, while
closely following the language and the grammar of
wooden building craft. Many private temples of the
rich Namboothiri families follow this model, while
highlighting or downplaying the qualitative aspects
as per the owners’ means.
Brahmaswam Madham, Thrissur
In the context of education, the ancient Indian
concept of guru-shishya parampara (teacher-student
tradition) and the idea of the gurukula (teacher’s
residence as the school) have often been mentioned.
However, an architectural manifestation of this is
fig. 3.22 Western
view of Brahmaswam
Madham, Thrissur,
facing the ritual bathing
pond and showing the
four madhams. The
Atharvaveda madham
(extreme right) is no
longer functional.
fig. 3.23 (a) Cross section
of Brahmaswam Madham,
Thrissur, through the road
at upper level and the
ritual bathing pond at the
lower.
(b) Plan of Brahmaswam
Madham, Thrissur,
showing three madhams.
The Atharvaveda madham
is not shown.
(c) Plan of the lower level
of Brahmaswam Madham,
Thrissur, showing the
meditation spaces and the
bathing platforms.
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Ritual bathing pond
Bathing platform
Bathing platform Bathing platform
Meditation area
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Kitchen
Dining
Graduation
temple
Graduation
temple
Graduation
temple
Guru’s
residence
Guru’s
residence
Guru’s
residence
Guru’s
teaching
platform
Guru’s
teaching
platform
Guru’s
teaching
platform
Classroom and
multipurpose space
Classroom and
multipurpose space
Classroom and
multipurpose space
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5. wooden architecture of kerala
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religious architecture of kerala
fig. 3.29 Plans of
Tazhathangady Mosque,
Kottayam. The main area
in front of the mihrāb, the
larger area after it and the
peripheral area are the
three sections for prayer.
above
fig. 3.26 Tazhathangady
Mosque, Kottayam. The
idea of poomukham
or entrance pavilion
is pronounced in the
mosque architecture
of Kerala.
Thus, formally, the mosque in Kerala in outward
appearance resembles a large and elaborate dwelling.
Itsbasicplancomprisesahallandtheqiblāwallwhich
contains the mihrāb—the essential component of the
mosque.Theqiblāwallisusuallyontheshortersidein
Kerala, facing Mecca. On the ground floor, the main
hall has arched openings at regular intervals. This
hall is usually laid out in two parts with a dividing
wall that has three openings, forming an inner and
an outer area of worship. The entire building is raised
on a high plinth and a veranda runs on all sides, with
arched openings that are in keeping with the humid
climate. The upper storey is a large, single-volume
space covered by a roof in the architectural idiom of
Kerala. Substituting the veranda on the ground floor,
the chārupadi (a band of slatted openings) runs all
around it (see Fig. 3.25). It is often used for teaching
and as lodgings for visiting scholars and students.
Since settlements in Kerala were scattered over a
large area, the minaret as a device for reciting the
bāngk (call to prayer) proved ineffective and was
below left
fig. 3.27 Cheraman
Mosque, Kodungallur,
as it was in 1958.
below right
fig. 3.28 Interior, Cheraman
Mosque, Kodungallur.
The presence of a lamp is
a symbolic, assimilative
gesture from Hindu custom.
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