Transformation of Built form Characteristics in Agraharams

Abstract

The culture and architecture are two interlinked concepts that help man to evoke uniqueness as an individual and a social being. A person’s or a community’s identity in a particular setting can be expressed through architecture. It is promising to create spaces with differences in spatial organization, street pattern, landscaping features, etc., according to the lifestyles, beliefs, rituals and customs of the inhabitants which finally becomes the identity of that particular place. But what happens to the identity of a place when all the inhabitants are migrants who left their homeland for better education or job opportunities and settled in a location where all social -cultural aspects are poles apart from theirs? This paper explores how the Architecture evokes the identity of the migrant communities in Kalpathy, Palakkad district, Kerala, without affecting the indigenous style of the location and the character of the total setting. This synthesis and metamorphosis of various religions and traditional practices has also been phenomenal in shaping our cities. Over the ages, many of these communities have been successful in maintaining uniformity in their social and Architectural fabric. This paper is intended towards highlighting the above mentioned aspects and how a unique culture gave rise to a new form of settlements known as Agraharams. Today, Agraharams are an epitome of how migrations driven by religious reasons, can shape the society as well as the built fabric of any city.