Bangalore-based architect Ramu Katakam applied this thought when he began work on his coffee-table book in collaboration with architectphotographer Joginder Singh. The result is a book that offers rare insights into the architecture of Kerala's temples and palaces and the use of wood and copper to give them their rare aesthetic.
Said Katakam who has worked on a number of heritage projects including the restoration of the Golkonda fort, "It was on a visit to Elephanta caves near Mumbai that I received my first awakening to another kind of architecture. For the first time, architecture gave me a clue that I had to keep still. It was with this stillness that a glimmer of the world beyond is perceived."
Father Favel Florensky, the Russian philosopher and historian has written about this experience and Katakam acknowledged his debt, "When I entered the Ettamannur temple in Kerala, I was seized by this awareness. There are clearly two worlds coexisting in this temple-the experience of pure space and the moment of complete freedom."
The book is a joy to read, with the photographs matching the simple prose.
Excerpts
"Proportion, geometry and simplicity are the features that make traditional Kerala architecture eventful. In turn, the buildings look to light and space to confirm their presence. In a country that has used stone to create art and architecture, Kerala has used wood."
"Copper tiles cover the roofs and play an important role in expressing the architecture of Kerala. The small tile when seen in an expanse of roofs in all shapes and sizes, forms beautiful silhouettes enhancing the geometry of these structures. It is the use of three materials - copper, timber and stone that combine to create these masterpieces of form and space."
"Many have tried to compare Japanese wooden temples with the ones in Kerala but it is clear there is no connection. The structures follow similar design technology such as the trusses and rafters but here the similarity ends Perhaps Parasurama when creating Kerala was helped by the master craftsman Vishvakarma to evolve the style of these temples that in many ways seem to have had divine intervention in their construction. Today this land is being torn apart with huge buildings that have little aesthetic appeal."
