Photo credits: Renuka Menon
Kamakshi Amman Temple is the one of the three important temples to the Goddess Parvathi (Lord Shiva’s wife) in India. The temple complex covers an area of four acres, and is constructed in the Pallava style. Continue reading
Photo credits: Renuka Menon
Varadharaja Perumal temple is situated in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. This temple was originally built by the Cholas, one of India’s great dynasties, in 1053. The main deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu. One of the most famous architectural pieces in the temple is the huge stone chain sculpted from a single stone. Continue reading
Preliminary model of the pavilion (Photo by Karen Chi-Chi Lin)
My very first internship was in Bangladesh with Panigram Resort, an eco-boutique resort in a rural farming town outside of Jessore, Bangladesh. I had no idea that it would ignite an insatiable curiosity about South Asia that would lead me back to the region several years later. I arrived in Kerala, India in 2012 not only with the amazing opportunity to return to a similar tropical biome and region, I had also returned to the same hospitality and resort family! Raxa Collective collaborates with Panigram Resort to help train Panigram Resort’s future leadership and staff.
When I was working at Panigram Resort, I was tasked with building a temporary pavilion for hosting potential investor meals and events. It seemed like an uphill battle for me at the time: I was young (19 years old); I was female; and I was a foreigner. Who would listen to me? I recently shared my story and was awarded the Young Designers 2014 Award by the Indian Architects & Builders (IA&B) magazine. I hope you, too, will enjoy my anecdote about the process from concept to construction … and finally, acceptance.
Panigram Resort banquet pavilion from start to finish (Photo by Karen Chi-Chi Lin)
I have never felt more accomplished than when I was handed a cigarette. Of course that requires an explanation. Continue reading
Photo credit: P Salim
Humayun’s Tomb was built over a 7 year period starting in 1565 AD by Haji Begum, the widow of Humayun, the 2nd Mugal Emperor. Located in the Indian state of Delhi, the Tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and was beautifully restored by Aga Kahn Trust for Culture in collaboration with the Archeological Survey of India. Continue reading
Photo credits: Dileep Kumar
Located in the Hassan district of Karnataka, Halebidu (which literally means “old city”) is an important Hoysala architectural site being proposed for UNESCO World Heritage status. Once the capital of the Hoysala Empire, the Halebidu temples are excellent examples of South Indian architecture. Continue reading
Photo credits: Dileep
Named for the Portuguese word meaning “watering place”, Aguada Fort is one of the largest and best preserved forts in the state of Goa. Portuguese rulers built the fort between 1609 and 1612 for providing a fresh water supply to their passing ships. Continue reading
Photo credits: Dileep
Aliyar dam is situated in the Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. Constructed over a ten year period between 1959-1969, Aliyar dam is the source for canal irrigation for large tracts of agricultural lands in the bordering regions of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Continue reading
Photo credits: Sijo
Bekal Fort is situated in the Kasaragod district in the north of Kerala. One of the largest and most well-preserved forts in the state, Bekel is spread over 40 acres. The fort was built by Sivappa Naik of the Ikkari dynasty in 1650. The west side of the fort offers a magnificent view of the sea and the beach. Continue reading
Photo credits: Abhay
The Santa Cruz Basilica is a heritage church in Fort Kochi with a colorful history. Built by the Portuguese in 1505 and elevated by Pope Paul IV to cathedral status in 1558, it was demolished by the British in 1795 when they took over Kochi. Bishop Dom Gomez Ferreira commissioned a new building at the same site in 1887. Continue reading
Photo credit: Sanjayan
A Unesco World Heritage Site and considered one of the eight wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal is in Agra in the Indian state of Utterpradesh. Twenty-two thousand laborers and craftsmen worked on the mausoleum complex between A.D. 1631 and 1653, to the cost of what is believed to be thirty-two crore (320 million) rupees. Continue reading
The ancient port city of Muzuris came into the spotlight in 2012 with the critically acclaimed Kochi-Muzuris Biennale, but the Muzuris Heritage Project highlights the region in a more historical context.
Located just 30 km north of Kochi in Paravur and Channamangalam, the four museums–Kerala History Museum, Lifestyle Museum, Kerala Jewish History Museum, and Jewish Lifestyle Museum–were inaugurated this Sunday.
The four museums together present a comprehensive picture of the political and cultural history and lifestyle of the region….
…The Muziris Heritage Project, spearheaded by the Tourism Department, envisaged a group of heritage and tourism plans around key historical monuments in North Paravur, Kodungalloor, Chennamangalam, Pallippuram, Mala and other areas. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
A gem of an architectural exuberance, the Napier Museum in Trivandrum is an example of authentic Kerala architectural design. The pink and blue stripes alternating with stripes of yellow and chilly red, scalloped arches of banana yellow, elaborately carved balconies and the red mock friezes leave visitors with a fairytale impression of beauty and perfection. Continue reading
Photo credits: Immanuel Abraham
Kerala has more than 20,000 temples dotting its landscape. Unique in their design and construction they stand out when compared to other Indian temples. Unlike other regions of the country, Kerala’s temples are primarily wooden structures that stress horizontal lines rather than tall towers and pillars. Continue reading
Kanakakunnu Palace was built during the reign of Sree Moolam Tirunal (1885-1924), one of the most popular ruler’s of Travancore state. Situated near the Napier Museum, it was mainly used for the Royal family guest entertainments. Continue reading
Photo credits: Renjith
Kerala has a rich legacy of architectural excellence. The ancient buildings, temples and palaces reflect the styles of sculpture and wood work adopted by artisans from ancient times. Traditionally the architecture of the state has been of a humble scale, an ensemble of simplicity and elegance tailored to suit Kerala’s climate and culture. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
St. Mary’s Forane Church is one of the oldest Christian Churches in India. This church is situated at Pullincunnu on the bank of Pampa River. The village is part of the Kerala Backwaters, a network of lakes, wetlands, and canals. Pulincunno is notable for the annual Rajiv Gandhi Trophy boat race. Continue reading
Thanks to Conservation Magazine‘s weekly newsfeed for this briefing on bird-friendly building practices:
The infrastructure that provides people with essential services sometimes has a surprisingly large side effect on other species. Seemingly benign buildings may be one of the deadliest serial killers.
People have long observed birds collide with windows at their home or office. The cumulative effect of all those collisions across America has previously been estimated to range widely from 100 million to 1 billion birds killed a year. A new study to be published in The Condor analyzed previous studies and datasets for a clearer consensus. The result, even with some uncertainty remaining, was still a whopping 365 to 988 million birds. Continue reading
Photo credits: Aju
The Hill Palace, built in a blend of Dutch and traditional Keralan architectural styles, was built in the year 1865 and spreads over 20,000 square feet in forty-nine buildings. Once the official residence of the maharaja of Cochin, today Hill Palace is one of Kerala’s largest archaeological museums. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Thirumalai Nayak Palace was built in the year 1636 by king Thirumalai Nayak, designed by an Italian architect. The courtyard in this palace is 3900 sq meters and is surrounded by massive pillars. The courtyard was mainly used for daily dance and music programmes. Continue reading
Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
The Sri Krishna Temple of Ambalappuzha is situated about 12 km south of Alleppey. Dedicated to Lord Sri Krishna, the temple architecture is a mixture of Keralan and Dravidian styles. Continue reading
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