The Nalukettu is the traditional style of architecture of Kerala, wherein a house has a quadrangle in the centre. Originally the abode of the wealthy Brahmin and Nair families, this style of architecture has today become a status symbol among the well to do in Kerala. Nalukettu is evident in the traditional homes of the upper class homestead where customs and rituals were a part of life. I stared in awe and wonder at the Nallukettu, my father’s house, the Thellakkat tharavad house in Chittur. Nallu means four and kettu means building so a nalluketu houses four buildings. Wondrous architecture that! There are ettukettus and pathinaru kettus too. Ettu and pathinaru meaning eight and 16 respectively. Hundreds of family living together in harmony? All belonging to the same tharavad or family.
The mansion , for that was what it is, is created using wood and tiles, central open courtyard and wondrous architecture. The interiors of the house are tastefully decorated with a wealth of antiques made from teak, sandalwood, mahogany etc.Vow, if you pulled down this house the teak and mahogany would fetch crores. Sadly that was what was happening. Huge tharavads were being pulled down because families were migrating to cities and nobody could afford to maintain a nallukettu. Thankfully, dad’s tharavad still had people living there ,of course the poor cousins.
A little bit on nallukettus. The traditional 'Nalukettu', barring the foundation and floor is made of carved and slotted wood and has a close resemblance to East Asian gabled and thatched structures. In later years, tiles replaced the coconut fronds. The enclosed courtyard or 'ankanam' is usually sunk and therefore called 'Kuzhi (pit) Ankanam'. The protruding roofs of the 'salas' formed shady verandas and protected the rooms from direct sunlight, keeping them cool even on the hottest of days. The inner verandah around the 'ankanam' is open. What I loved the most was the central courtyard.which could be used for anything. I dreamt of a lovely pond there ! My aunts and cousins would just meet there on hot kerala afternoons and enjoy the cool breeze thanks to the unique architecture.
The outer verandahs along the four sides of the 'Nalukettu' are enclosed differently. While both the western and eastern verandahs are left open, the northern and southern verandahs are enclosed or semi-enclosed.
The rules of 'Tachu Sastra' (Science of Architecture).are followed while building a nallukettu.
An entrance structure (padippura) like the gopuram of a temple was the main entrance. Father used to say that his Mom and Dad , my grandparents being kissing cousins used to meet there for … you guessed it .. kissing. This may contain one or two rooms for guests or occasional visitors who are not entertained in the main house and served as ideal hiding places ! The position and sizes of various buildings, including the location of trees and paths within the compound wall were to be decided from the analysis of the site according to the prescriptions in the classic texts. This analysis involved the concept of vastupurusha mandala wherein the site (vastu) was divided into a number of grids (padam) occupied by different deities (devatha) and appropriate grids were chosen to house the suspicious structures. The site planning and building design was done by learned stapathis (master builders) who synthesized the technical matters with astrological and mystical sciences. A devi temple was always there and I remembered with trepidation my Amuma becoming an oracle . She would swing from side to side and make guttural noises . She would be possessed by bhagwathi who would speak through her.We cousins would hold each other till her possession was done. She would fall down in a trance . After some time she would be up none the worse for wear. Then panchamrit would be served. Yummm. It was a prasad made of five items, banana , honey, kalkandum, chukku and milk, all mashed together by the unhygienic hands of the pujari. But it tasted like heavan.
There are numerous buildings of the nalukettu type in different parts of Kerala, though many of them are in a poor state of maintenance. Changing socio-economic conditions have split up the joint-family system centered around the large nalukettu. The Kailasa mandiram at Kottakkal belonging to the Arya Vaidyasala is a standing example of a three storeyed nalukettu complex. Of the best preserved examples of this type are Mattancherry palace at
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The Mattancherry palace standing in the panorama of backwaters on the east was built in 1557 for the use of Kochi Maharajas, originally as a gift from Portuguese. Later it has undergone extensive repair by the Dutch. The double storeyed building follows the nalukettu plan with a courtyard in the centre housing a Bhagavathi temple. The different wings of the palace in the upper storey contain the coronation hall, council halls and bed chambers of kings and ladies. The lower storey has many small rooms apart from the kitchen and the dining hall. An important feature of the palace is the exquisite wood work of the ceiling and fine murals on the walls. The ceiling work include a grid of wooden joints well proportioned and precision moulded with beautifully carved panels. The murals in subdued brownish tints were executed on wet wall plaster depicting themes from Ramayana, Bhagavatham and Kumarasambhavam of Kalidasa.
Of course all these were not present in my father’s nallukettu but it held memories of a bygone era. Today most of the Nallukettus are becoming homestays run by resorts . Sigh . My dad refused the offer . He does not believe that you should sell your tradition. But dad is no more. Who will carry on the tradition?
