Kerala architecture – ‘Ara’ in heritage homes

Ara means an enclosed storage area, often used for threshed grain – paddy in the Kerala context. Landlords who owned and cultivated large areas would have such storehouses near the fields and also an in-house granary to stock un-husked rice for home consumption.

In many old houses the ara faces the entrance as you can see form the photo from our ancestral home shown below. (The decorations are because the picture was taken during the engagement ceremony of my niece Tanya)

This shot by KO Isaac is from the eastern gatehouse. The door of the gatehouse, the entrance to the main building and the door to the ara (in the background) are all in one line. It has something to do with thachusastram (vasthu which means the traditional science of architecture.)

The door opens to what we call aravathukkal pura, but more commonly known as arappura in Kerala. It is a corridor which has doors to the left and the right leading to the other parts of the house and the entrance to the ara (see photo by me below). It is again in line with the front door.

Our ara has two compartments. The smaller one is for nurukkari or table rice and the other for nediyari or coarse rice for the house staff. Now both are empty and we buy rice! Ten years back I stopped paddy cultivation which we were doing regularly, because the Communists imported some outsiders to plant red flags in our fields. They did this alleging that we were leaving our fields fallow!

There is a true anecdote to this. The party men who came in a truck and started a procession called our workers who were transplanting rice saplings in another field to join them. One woman stood up and answered, "Comrades, flags don’t produce rice.” Remarkable, I must say.

Coming back to ara, the entire structure including the floor is in wood. The reason for this is that paddy might spoil if it gets into contact with lime or cement. The ara is about three feet above the floor level of the rest of the house. I suppose this is to prevent permeation of moisture.

Traditionally, ara was taboo to women. They could stand in the arappura and carry away the grain measured out by men, but never step inside the ara!

Ends.

Also see: Un-ploughed lies my land

Kerala architecture: More on nalukettu

Kerala Architecture - Olavipe Heritage Home

Interiors

Kerala Architecture: Nalukettu, ettukettu, pathinarukettu

A number of people seem to be fascinated with traditional Kerala nalukettu houses. Nalukettu means a residence with one inner courtyard. Ettukettu would have two such courtyards, and ‘pathinarukettu’, four. I found all kinds of statements about these on the Internet. I am not commenting on them but feel that it may be worthwhile to record my personal knowledge of several such houses and how life was in them.

My mother’s house, Konduparambil, and my home, Thekkanattu Parayil, are both nalukettu. Five other Parayil heritage homes (100+ years) which I know well from childhood are ettukettu. All these buildings are east facing. In our ettukettu houses the smaller of the two quadrangles is located at about the centre of the building and the larger one in the north, near the kitchen.

The construction of Thekkanattu which is the smallest among the Parayil heritage mansions started in 1890. It blends the traditional architectural style and the concepts of the modern house designs that were to follow in 20c. Here also the nalukettu is located at the north end – the single-storied area in the photo below:

Photo: TP

Now, about the inside layout. There are two broad, well-ventilated verandas on the western and eastern sides of our nalukettu and two narrower ones connecting them. The eastern veranda which is near the kitchen is not used much by the family.

The western veranda gets good breeze that blows in from the lake 500 yards away, and, with wood ceiling and tile roofing, is always cool. That was the living area where the ladies and children spent most of their time. When we bought a TV set, it was kept in the nalukettu and not in the drawing room.

Interestingly, the men did not use this part of the building. Likewise, the women did not normally go to the southern portion of the house. That was the way it was till my generation.

Here are two photos of our nalukettu:

Interior corridors leading to the nalukettu
Photo: TP

The quadrangle
Photo: KO Isaac

Having a nalukettu in a new house is fine provided it is functional and blends with the ambiance. The Parayil mansion shown below, which was built in 1940s, has a comfortable and practical nalukettu

Ayanat Parayil (Middle)
Photo: ayanathouse.com

A good example of adaptation of nalukettu in non-residential construction is the canteen at the Centre for Development Studies, Trivandrum, designed by Laurie Baker.

Ends.

Also see:

Kerala architecture: More on nalukettu

Kerala Architecture: Exterior of a heritage home
Kerala Architecture: Prayer room of a heritage home

Kerala Architecture: Another Parayil heritage home