OK, YOU'VE GOT TO give credit to those copywriters who came up with the tagline, 'God's Own Country' After reading this book, you know there's more than a ring of truth to it. While reams have been written on the backwaters, the spices, the fishing nets and cuisine of Kerala, there's precious little about its architecture. And to correct that problem, step in two architects. One, the reclusive but enormously talented Ramu Katakam who now prefers to research rather than practice architecture. The other, (a follower of legendry Laurie Baker) is the architect-turned photographer, Joginder Singh.
The duo have traversed the state in search of the traditional, to discover and dutifully document an architectural treasure trove. Turning the pages of this coffee table book, makes you feel as if a precious secret has been let out. Architect and writer (Katakam), and architect and photographer (Singh) have researched and showcased more than 25 traditional structures in pursuit of documenting traditional buildings. Not surprisingly, the temples outnumber the palaces and homes featured.
In his foreword, Katakam talks about his journey through architecture, "The moment I entered the EttamannurTemple in Kerala, I was seized with the awareness... Two worlds co-exist in this temple - the experience of pure space and the moment of complete freedom. When that realization dawned, I knew the search was over; the hunger for more architecture had been driven away." In short, the architect had come home.
The book is a treat for the details covered by Singh's lens and Katakam's text. A carved lizard on a ceiling beam, intricate woodwork, temple gables, are all captured by pen and camera. There's obviously plenty of wood featured here, given Kerala's rich forest reserves. In his essay, 'Architecture in Kerala', Katakam enumerates the use of laterite stone, granite and copper (as tiles) while describing the most widely used materials.
And is there a connection between Japan's wooden temples and the ones in Kerala? Katakam agrees that there are similarities (a design technology that uses trusses and rafters), but there's no more here than that.
Most noteworthy in the book is the authors' attempts to capture the style and design of these timbre buildings as well as the quality of space and light around them. It's a labour of love. What are you waiting for? Go buy.
