· BEAUTY AND SIMPLICITY OF OLD INDIAN HOMES ·

What is so beautiful about old Indian architecture?


Sustainable - yes!
Energy-efficient - yes!
Aesthetic - yes!
Compact yet spacious - yes!

· WELCOME TO MY GRANDMA'S HOME · 

 This is my grandfather's sister's house. She is 85, healthy and happy, living with her son and daughter-in-law, who are taking care of her and this age-old ancestral house excellently. After a long time, we went to visit them during summer holidays. It was scorching hot outside and we were surging through the narrow lanes where markets were put up on the road.We kept asking people for directions, Amma trying to remember the old landmarks and finally Dada spotted the blue vernacular house - 
" There it is Akka Atya's house ".
   
This particular street of Dharwad had a stretch of old houses and it was such a delight to see them. I was so excited to be there, meet everyone. I couldn't stop looking at every detail of the interiors, skylights, wide passageway that went through and through from the entrance to the backyard (courtyard) that opened up to a Tulsi Katta and a well, with pretty planters, and saplings all around.
   
Everyone were busy talking, eating and so on, while I was just quiet and trying to take in all the beauty and simplicity of the house. We were sitting in the living area which had no door, no wall, it was just two steps up from the passageway like a platform with detailed wooden columns and beams. Living area had kitchen, pooja room, and a storeroom adjacent to it. All the rooms were well lit by skylights that made a huge impact on how the spaces felt.

I don't know when and how I forgot about the heat outside. As soon as I stepped in, couldn't stop admiring details of every nook and corner. Never felt so calm and comfortable before. Kaku looked at me and sensed my urge to see the entire house, she took me around the place, I went with her like an excited kid who is going to get a chocolate 馃槀

She took me on top first, through the narrow stairway. Half of the 1st floor was terrace with chimney like openings for skylights and the other half was an attic room with a balcony facing the street. We got down through a wooden staircase from another side which opened to the backyard on one side and kitchen on the other. The kitchen had these tiny square niches in the wall and wooden storage racks, beautifully lit with diffused light coming in from the top skylight. Then a step down for the cooking area where you sit down and cook comfortably. Next, we moved to pooja room ,which I must say, was extremely well organized, lit, and serene. This place felt no less than a temple. Even the storeroom was such a delight to look at.  

Mud walls, carved and detailed wooden members, Mangalore tiles for roof, stone flooring, diffused sunlight through skylights, vintage photographs and paintings hung all around, Rangoli on the floor, green backyard, a well so rich with water, the soothing blue backdrop, the warmth and love of the people inside it, is what makes old Indian architecture so beautiful and spiritual ! 

BTW, HAPPY WORLD ARCHITECTURE DAY 馃槈


With regards,
Kanchan Kulhalli.

                               

                                      

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Venkanna's swastik art gallery

Image
The best part about travelling is enjoying all the newness! Taking in the new air, stepping on to the new land and meeting up some new generous humans. Here's to the Venkanna Jalimane, a 62-year-old man full of childlike enthusiasm, generosity and creativity. Lives in a tiny village called Hittlalli in Uttar Karnataka which falls between yellapur and Sirsi. Bellow is the beautiful and short description of his gallery and his largeheartedness 馃槉 He owns up the Swastik art gallery which is in the attic of his age-old beautiful traditional house. The gallery is filled with simple yet amazingly creative artworks of Venkanna. Various sculptures made out of tree's trunks and roots, paintings of artists, poets, philosophers, leaders, animals and birds on the dry peepal leaves. Various beautiful greeting cards made out of direct organic materials like leaves and flowers. He has written entire Bhagavad Geeta on almost 1000 dry peepal leaves which spread till more than 1 km....
Read more

CHI - flavours of China

Image
CHI - flavours of China  So here is this new restaurant in Belgaum called CHI which serves various Chinese as well as few Thai dishes. The menu is really interesting and you may come across many new names which you have never heard of or ever tried . Do ask the order taker for details and particulars because it is a typical Chinese restaurant unlike other Chinese food joints in Belgaum which has a Indian masaledar twist to it .  So here are few dishes that we tried and I loved them. Started with the basic Manchow soup with crispy noodles, hot and with perfect blend of all spices.  Vegetable Dumpling with hot n sour sauce was well cooked and all yummyyy. Chefs red sauce was like baby corn manchuri tossed in the their chef's special red sauce which is not too spicy but it was scrumptious !!!   For the main course we had Veg Phad Thai flat noodles and Pot rice with gravy called as exotic vegetables with chilly oyster sauce which had br...
Read more

Wild sugar Patisserie and cafe.

Image
 Wild sugar Patisserie and cafe.               As customer's satisfaction comes first to wild sugar , it never fails to standout in terms of flavours and presentation and this is what I love about them.                Wild sugar has now unveiled its some of the newest and most delicious dishes , which I got to taste yesterday and now they are my personal favourites to be true 馃挐                Firstly we were served with Peanut butter brownie milk shake as a welcome drink which was just WOW. I loved it , the combination of peanut butter and brownie milk shake just was like an Elixir I can say.                Next came in a plate of Gorgeous looking marinated salad served with yogurt sauce. I don't eat salads that often, but this is the salad that makes it count. Some how the combination of everything fits in perfect...
Read more