Ancient Architecture of Kerala

The architecture of Kerala tells many stories. The way its structures have been designed not only reveals about the artistic and technical capabilities of the craftsmen, but also about the progression and evolution of its society. The landmark of a state is its pilgrimage centre. Kerala has more than 20,000 temples dotting its landscape. Here temple structure stresses on horizontal movement rather than tall towers and pillars that are popular elsewhere in India.

One of the main characteristics of Kerala temples is that they are primarily wooden structures. The central sanctum of the temple is known as sreekovil and the shape of the roof is in accordance with the plan of this sanctum. It will be circular, square or conical. Another distinctive feature of Kerala temples is the use of multi – tiered brass lamps or the stambha vilakku. In some temples there is a structure called aanakottil (elephant shed) where the elephant is used to stand during festive occasions. This would be on the eastern side of the temple. The architecture of Kerala temples is really worth visiting!

St. Francis Church – Cochin

This is India’s first European church. It was built in 1503, by a group of Portuguese Franciscan friars who came to Kochi along with Pedro Alvarez Cabral. This centuries old church at Fort Kochi was originally built completely of timber and later reconstructed in stone masonry. It was formerly a Catholic church but now converted to an Anglican church by the British in 1795 and is at present governed by the Church of South India (CSI).

The façade is typical Portuguese with vivid curves and steep pinnacles on either side such as the west facing entrance that has a semi – circular arched opening with a window above. In the centre of the façade wall is the bell turret at the gable front.

But there are traditional elements too, such as the gable – ended roof, which is of timber and covered with Mangalore patterned tiles. Here, you can also see and admire the traditional fan – pankha that is made up of ornamental wood and fabric and is suspended from the coffered ceiling. The highlight of this church is that it has Vasco da Gamma’s tombstone.

Sree Vishwanathaswamy Temple

Kalpathy agraharam, a Brahmin settlement in the form of row houses, consists of five villages – Chathapuram, Old Kalpathy, New Kalpathy, Govindarajapuram and Vaidhyananthapuram. The streets, beaded with houses adjoining both sides and a temple for each settlement, are a typical feature of agraharams.

Sree Visalakshi Sametha Sree Vishwanathaswamy temple, popularly known as Dakshin Kasi and locally as kundukovil located in the Palakkad district. Sree Vishwanathaswamy Temple was built in 1452 by Itti Kombi Achan, the Raja of Palakkad. The temple plan is of Dravidian style with a sanctum that is square and has a pillared portico in front. Profusely carved wooden columns enclose the entire temple. A pillared ‘nandi mandapam’ is located outside the entrance and there is a flag post in front.

This is the venue where the world famous Kalpathy Ratholsavam takes place. This archaic temple settles at the bank of the quiet Kalpathy River (Nila River). This charming temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Visalakshi (Goddess Parvathi).

The temple is situated at the bottom of eighteen steps leading from the eastern Gopuram. In the south – west direction of the temple is situated the temple of Sri Lakshminaryana Perumal of Old Kalpathy Village and Prassana Maha Ganapathy of Chathapuram village. In the east are the Kshipraprasada Maha Ganapathy temple of Pandhrandaam Teruvu (12th street) and the Manthakara Maha Ganapathi Temple of New Kalpathy village and in the east – west direction is the Sree Varadaraja Perumal of Govindarajapuram Village. In the eastern direction at one kilometre distance is the Chokkanathar temple of Chokkanathapuram Village.

There is a flag staff erected in front of the temple. The idol of Sree Vishwananthaswamy is situated facing the east and Visalakshi facing the south.

Bastion Bungalow

One of the seven Old Dutch Forts, Bastion Bungalow was built in the 17th century on the location of the Stromberg Bastion. The bungalow is marked for its first floor verandah, which has been made entirely out of wood and is believed to have secret network of tunnels in its underbelly, something that is still a mystery. Although moving towards destruction, even today it serves as the official residence of the sub-collector.

The walls have been constructed of laterite and brick in lime mortar, plastered with lime. The architectural character of the building is a beautiful fusion of colonial and traditional. Its strategic location and the combination of hipped roof and Mangalore pattern tiles on timber rafters, gives this building a visible presence.

Thripunithura Hill Palace

Positioned 12 kilometres from Ernakulam, Thripunithura was the abode of the former ruling family of Cochin and the Hill Palace, the official residence of the royals. Today, this palace houses the largest archeological museum of Kerala. This palace was built in 1865 and has 49 elegant buildings built in traditional Kerala architectural style with Western influence.

The palace houses an ethno-archeological museum and a heritage museum, which is first in Kerala. The museum exhibits the riches and fortunes of the former imperial family of Kochi. King’s throne and the crown in the ornaments gallery are some of the most interesting objects displayed here. Other items include the majestic beds, grand paintings, carvings and samples of epigraphy. Some of the wooden carvings of 14th century are also brought from the Enadimangalam temple, are on display in the woodcarvings gallery. There are also sculptures and ivory items displayed here. The porcelain gallery has 160 objects ranging from cups and pots to Chinese dishes. The numismatic gallery displays coins of stately Cochin and Travancore states, British coins, Roman silver coins, and punch-marked coins.

Exhibits here also include 200 antique pieces of pottery and ceramic vases from Japan and China, Kudakkallu (tomb stone), Thoppikkallu (hood stone), menhirs, granite, laterite memorials, rock cut weapons from the stone ages, wooden temple models, plaster cast models of objects from Harappa and Mohanjodaro. Now, also these things are maintained as it is and with great care. Hence, Thripunithura Hill Palace will be only one such in Kerala with a rich and wide variety of ancient collections.

The building is naalukettu with an adjoining dining hall. It is the floors that catch our attention. The interiors of the palace display bright coloured mosaic tiles. The glazed Italian marble tiles in the corridors still seem sparkling. In the outer wall of the Cabinet Hall, there are Victorian tiles sporting floral designs. There appears to have a lot of Western influence in the designing of the interiors. Even the metallic ornamental roofing of the Cabinet Hall shows Western craftsmanship.

Informations:

Timings : – 9:00 hrs to 12:30 hrs and 14:00 hrs to 16:30 hrs.

Closed on Mondays and National holidays.

St. Joseph’s Cathedral

                                                                                                                                                                                          

St. Joseph’s Cathedral – Trivandrum

One of the most impressive landmarks of the capital city Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), St. Joseph’s Cathedral is the place where the Britishers lived. It has a typical Latin cross plan with a central nave and two side aisles with the transepts intersecting at right angles. Wooden staircases lead to the upper storeys. The tower housing the statue of Jesus Christ rises to a height of approximately 100 feet. The plastered external wall is painted brick red with white outline on it. It has an imaginatively decorative feature that has become the hallmark of the early 19th century architecture.

But today, this ancient church has been remodeled and re- painted in white colour because white colour represents sanctity which is most suited for a church. This Gothic – style heritage structure is a prominent Catholic worship centre and a major tourist attraction of the city.

 

Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple

 
Sri Padmanabha Swamy temple – Trivandrum 

Although regarded to be atleast 2000 years old, Padmanabha Swamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram is the ‘Maha Kshetram’ (great temple) of Kerala. It is the landmark of Thiruvananthapuram city. The grand structure and supreme architecture of the temple made the devotees believe that it guarded the city from all ill-omens. The incredible fact of this temple is that it is built in ‘one single huge stone’ with beautiful architecture in it, which is truly unbelievable. It has all the features to become one among the Seven Wonders of the World.

Of the four gateways to facilitate entry from the four prime directions, those on the three sides display traditional Kerala architecture but the one on the east has a Dravidian gopuram. The main entrance is from the auspicious east gate through a flight of steps leading to the outer nave. The nave opens to an outer passage encircling the temple on all four sides.

The naalambalam contains a timber trellis with oil lamps. During the festival called ‘Lakshdeepam’ all these oil lamps (nearly one lakh oil lamps) are lit. This festival is celebrated once in 12 years and it a wonderful vista to behold.

Sree Vadakkumnathan Temple

Sree Vadakkumnathan Temple – Thrissur

Vadakkumnathan temple, which belongs to the late phase of the temple architecture, is an important landmark of Thrissur. This is the great temple the Mother of All Festivals – The Colourful Thrissur Pooram is celebrated with great pomp and pageantry.
 
This shrine is circular in shape and with a conical roof of timber laid with copper roofing on the top. There are two entrances to the temple, the Vadakkumnathan facing the east and his consort Parvathi Devi facing the west. This great old temple is the finest example of Kerala architecture; this temple has low, tiled roofs and a profusion of woodwork. We can see the decorative murals depicting scenes from the mythological epic Mahabharata.

The main garbha griha is a square compartment, which is enclosed by a circular shrine in traditional architectural style. The namaskara mandapa occupies the west of the sanctum and is square in shape with a pyramidal roof supported by two concentric rows of stone columns. An eye – catching feature of the temple is the koothambalam, which has been created with a very high pyramidal roof over a rectangular plan on the left side of the sanctum.

Shakthan Thampuran Palace

Shakthan Thampuran Palace – Thrissur

Originally known as Vadakkechira Kovilakam, this palace was built by Rama Varma Shakthan Thampuran of Cochin during his reign. According to the historical, architectural and cultural importance, the Shakthan Thampuran palace has now been converted into an antique museum.

A flagpole- dating back to 1827 and the royal emblem of two elephants, a conch and a lamp proclaims a welcome to that place. The renovated palace is an excellent example of the traditional Kerala and Dutch style of architecture. The palace is a two – storied structure with a central courtyard inside.

 This museum has the largest assembly of excavated megalithic material, weapons and stamps. You can also glimpse through the old coins of that period, galleries depicting the treasury, royal bedroom, and royal kitchen with utensils. Besides the tombs of Shakthan Thampuran and other noblemen, there is a snake shrine, a tank, a temple and a heritage and a straggling garden with innumerable collection of flowers, plants and trees.

The imposing laterite masonry walls in the lime mortar, plastered with lime, are extremely thick. This is a typical Dutch characteristic. The projecting porch in the front and the arched veranda add beauty to this symmetrical piece of architecture. The timber roof is covered with Mangalore pattern tiles and has a double slope.

Santa Cruz Basilica

Santa Cruz Basilica – Cochin

Fort Kochi indicates you with this monumental structure. In a visit to Fort Kochi there’s no way you can miss the Santa Cruz Basilica. This imposing structure was built by the Portuguese in 1506. It was blessed as a cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558. The cathedral was demolished in 1975 when the British took over Fort Kochi.  However, a new building was constructed at the same site in 1887 by Bishop Dome Gomes Ferreira, which was declared as a Basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1984.

As you enter, you will be fascinated by a plethora of colours and ornate motifs. There are coloured doors and windows, timber and tiled roof, but it is in disheveled condition. The interior walls are pastel montages filled with statues of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary, nativity scenes, railings carved from marble, mosaic tiles and abstract art. The wooden ceilings serve as a pathway for several huge murals, which have been repainted. One really does get a sense of the age of the building.  The bright blue pillars at the entrance may hide this aspect from the visitor; but they invite you inside for a visual treat.

 

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