TRADITIONAL BUNT HOMES

Traditionally, the Bunt community of Tulunadu was blessed with stately residential complexes where they lived in a joint family system wherein generation of maternally related members lived under a single roof. These Bunt manorial houses were very large, well built single structure bungalows. This system is called ‘Manetana’. These Bunt houses are locally known as ‘Guthu da ill’ or ‘Guthu Mane’ which translates into ‘House of Prestige’. Till recently there were instances of over a hundred members of such a family living under one roof with common kitchen. Royal Palaces among the bunts were called ‘Arasa Mane’.

Since Bunts were landlords or small feudatories, the location of the house was generally at the centre of the ‘aasti’ and ‘thota’ (land holdings) each bunt family collectively held. The senior most male member of the house according to the customary matrilineal law became the ‘Yejamana’ (Head of the family). The ritual of annointation was known in Tulu as ‘Gaadi Pathunu’. A ceremonial sword known as ‘Pattada kathi’ and the ceremonial ring known as ‘Pattada ungila’ were the regalia presented to him at the investiture. It was also the tradition that the Yejamana of the family wore a thick round gold ‘okkanulu’ (waist belt) at the waist and over the dhoti. On the death of the Yajamana the next eldest in line assumed the mantle of the Yejamana. He was also called ‘Gurikara’. If a lady was the head of the family, then she was called ‘Gurikarti’.

These houses are situated in the countryside amidst picturesque surroundings of paddy fields and swaying palm fringed grooves. Bunt homes generally followed a distinct pattern of architecture taking into account the guidelines of the ‘Vastushilpa’ - The traditional Hindu system of architecture. The main paddy field in front of the house is known as ‘Bakimar Kanda’. This field offers a panoramic view to the front portion of the house. The annual rituals like kola was conducted at fixed times of the year on this bakimar kanda. The main gate is known as ‘tudame’. It is made from thick bamboo poles which slide manually to go into eyes/holes of the thick wooden posts which are embedded in the soil on the opposite side adding an authentic character to the surroundings.

The open space in front of the house is known as ‘jaal’, a small part of the jaal is covered with ‘madal da dompa’ or shade made from woven dried coconut leaves to protect the chavadi from extreme heat during the hot summer months. These dompas are artistically built using areca nut (betel nut) tree trunk. A ritual is performed on the day of installing these dompas. During the monsoons ‘tatti’ or protection screen made from madal or coconut leaves is used to protect the windows and veranda from the heavy rains (eral bijune kh).

In the jaal, in one corner a small flat stone slab called ‘kall chapadi’ is kept along with a round shaped water container with a wide mouth, huge enough to store water and is carved out of a single granite block. There is no decoration on its surface but the container has a rim. The bottom of this container is flat. There is a round drain-outlet which is closed with a small wooden plug called ‘buchi’. This rock cut water container is known as ‘kalla marai’ and is kept filled with water so that the visitor’s could scrub and wash their feet before entering into the house.

The front portion or the sit out of the house was called the ‘Mogasale’. It contained a large entry door called the ‘Hebbagilu’. The Hebbagilu is generally made of teakwood or rosewood and have intricate designed carvings on them. The hinges on the doors are called ‘bijagre’. The hebbagilu gave way to an open yard called the ‘Angala’. Angala is walled on all the four sides and the walls are generally carved. Following the angala is the ‘Chavadi’ or the Assembly Hall which contains the traditional chair of the head of the household known as the ‘Nyayapeeta’. The Yajamana sitting on his special lavishly carved wooden Nyayapeeta held court i.e. met his tenants or solved matters pertaining to village disputes, etc. This was known as ‘Panchatige’. A step (muttu) below the chavadi was a long verandah known as ‘Jagali’ where the commoners were allowed to sit. At that time the commoners were not permitted inside the house.

The chavadi is decorated with exquisite carved wooden pillars tapering at the top known as ‘Khambas’. Images from Hindu mythology, birds, animals, or with culture and heritage of Tulunadu have been sculptured on these pillars. The abacus of the pillars and the pillar joints are also designed. These beautifully carved pillars lend a dignified look to the chavadi and also provide support to the ceiling. The pillars that adorn the chavadi are called as ‘Aya da kamba’. The decorative wooden ceiling of the chavadi is known as ‘Muchige’ and is decorated with artistically carved foliage, mango design, floral design and coin motif. The more wealthy houses even boast of ivory decoration on the ceiling border. The muchige rests on solid wooden beams known as ‘janti’. The ’jantis’ also support the tile roof with the help of small perlins known as ‘pakkas’. The detailing adds great character to a room. As the wood work is hand carved, they all have unique designs carved on them.

Most houses had a wooden swing with carvings known as ‘Ujjal’, which adorned on the right hand corner of the chavadi. Ujjal added elegance and timeless tradition to the room. It was supposed to be the seat of the Yajamana. There was a lot of wood work in the construction of a Bunt house, a luxury the rich land lords could easily afford in those days due to low cost and availability of wood and good carpenters (achari) to work on. The furniture like chests (Kalembi), cabinets, frames of wooden kurchis (chairs), wooden ornate writing desks and edges of meijis (tables) were always covered with carvings and sometimes even with exquisite ivory inlay work. A comfortable reclining easy chair is known as ‘icchar’. Then of course there is the famous vakil bench – almost every old house has one!

Bunt homes are furnished in all tradition and glory. Wooden corner shelves were known as ‘mule palai’. An otherwise triangular corner was turned into a useful space to support small articles. A pendulum wooden clock was hung on the wall which a family member faithfully winded every day. Sometimes skins of animals, stuffed tiger heads, animal horns mounted on a wooden board and rifles known as ‘bedi’ were hung on the wall. These trophies and rifles are usually the legacy of their forefathers. Chavadi had to be elaborately decorated, the more opulent the chawadi, that much affluent a particular household was considered.

Inside the Chavadi is the ‘Nadu Mane’ or ‘Padsale’, the central portion of the house, which was mostly used only by the female members of the house. Entry to the padsale was restricted to non bunts. The door to padsale is known as ‘Aya da bakil’. This door was sometimes made from Jackfruit tree wood or pelata mara. Patterns of extreme richness and minute elaboration adorn this door and massive frame called the ‘daranda’. This door gives character to the house. Above the door frame there is a niche which is known as ‘tadya da gudu’. This was used to keep ‘tharkol’ or ‘beegada kai’ (keys), etc. A wrought iron treasury was a sign of wealth & standing and was placed here. Family jewels/heirlooms were kept inside the treasury.

The threshold to the aya da bakil is known as the ‘tadya’. From outside the door can be locked with a ‘sankale’ or metal chain. The bakil has a sliding wooden privacy latch which slides to go into a hook /eye on the other side so it doesn't blow open while it is locked. This is called as ‘keel’ or ‘cheempu’. Besides the Nadu Mane a separate room is reserved for daily worship of Gods called as ‘Deverna Kone’. Pooja is performed here every morning after bathing and dressing but prior to taking any food or water. An offering such as flowers, lighting a ‘deepa’ (lamp) and agarbatti (incense) is followed. Pair of standing oil brass lamps known as ‘sanadige’ or ‘kalu deepa’ is kept on either sides of the door outside the Pooja room. Caskets are kept in Deverna kone for family members to put their offerings to Tirupati Temple in the form of coins. The offerings are carried by pilgrims from the family to Tirupati to put into the hundi of Balaji at Tirupati Temple.

Apart from this the house complex also consists of a sacred room called ‘Gunda da kone’ where paraphernalia related to rituals of bhuta da kola are kept in a carved wooden ‘Daivada Manchavu’ or raised platform for safe custody. ‘Bhandara Mane’ is a treasure house, to keep valuables. Sometimes even the ‘abharana’ or jewels belonging to the main Hindu temple of the village are kept here. These jewels belonging to the village deities were displayed only once in a year during the annual temple festival called ‘Ayana’.

The door in the rear of the house is known as ‘kuru bakil’. Some windows of the house at ground level are optical illusion windows; these can modulate and control the inflow of both light and air with sliding shutters. The house is also equipped with an auto-burglar lock, unique feature found only in southern part of coastal Karnataka (South Canara belt).

Besides these there are various other rooms like ‘Galage da Kone’ or ‘Bandasale’ which is the in-house granary. The first floor of the house is called the ‘Malige’ or ‘upparige’ and can be accessed through a flight of steps provided from the corner of chavadi. The upper floor had several spacious bedrooms. There is only one private room for Yajamana (master bedroom) in the southwest upstairs and has a large general living room for women. Antique cots featured ornate carved rails and upright posts at the four corners to hang mosquito nets. The cabinets and almirah have elegantly carved door. Frames of mirrors (kannadi) also have carvings on them. Elaborately carved and built-in wall cupboards for storage are seen all over the house. Unusually, Tulunadu furniture frequently has double use. The kandi (window) shutters on the first floor can be converted into a ‘Manchavu’ or bench, probably used by women of the household to watch the happenings without leaving the house.

Kitchen called ‘Adpil’ or ‘Ateel da Kone’ was located in the south east. The kitchen worked around the clock and not just with daily meals for the family and helpers. Here traditional Bunt Cuisine was cooked. Grinding was done in ‘Kadepi Kall’ or manual grinders to grind the batter for traditional breakfast dishes. A tough life indeed! Peradane, (coconut grater stool) mutati, (Sickle with stool) semai da mane, (rice noodle press) and other kitchen tools are also kept in a small store room adjacent to the kitchen known as ‘ugrana’. Seasonal fruits available in their backyards like mangoes and jackfruits were used to make uppad (pickles), neer uppu pacheer, shendige, happalas, (papads); the list could go on forever. The dining hall was called ‘unpuna kone’.

It is interesting to see how the architectural details mirror the lives of the people, their activities and their needs. The attics above the kitchen have in-built spacious lofts especially for storing aritha mudi (muras of rice, One mudi=38 kgs). This particular loft is known as puge tha atta or kuttatta. This loft allows the smoke rising from the kitchen below to escape through an eyelid shape chimney known as ‘pugeta goodu’. This arrangement also protects the rice muras from pests.

There is also a ‘Guvel’ or ‘Uggel’, a drinking water inner well near the chavadi of the house created for use of family members. This well was cleaned each season. A metal pot made of brass or copper known as ‘kodapana’ was used to draw water from the well. Bunt households bred fighter cocks/ rooster for ‘Kori Katta’. These roosters were tied to a post known as ‘kori da gunta’. This gunta is kept in the jaal in front of the main courtyard. Terracotta pots called ‘chatti’ are kept in gardens and patios to grow plants. This added to the beauty of the surrounding.

The roofless central courtyard is either square or rectangular in shape and is surrounded by rooms. It is an excellent place for little children to play safely, like a large pen. It is also used to keep vessels like cauldrons which are not in regular use. Due to the excellent cross ventilation the chavadi always remain cool and airy. A Bunt household is considered incomplete if it doesn't have a Tulsi (holy basil) plant in the inner courtyard. The ‘Tulsi Katte’ is a specially built raised structure, which has images of deities installed on all four sides, and an alcove for a small earthen oil lamp. The Tulsi plant is planted in the centre. The Tulsi plant is watered and decorated with haldi, kumkum and flowers. Prayers are offered twice a day.

In one back corner of the house is the bathroom known as the ‘bendra kotya’. Water was heated in a big copper or brass urn called ‘neer da mande’ for bathing. Detached to the house is an isolated room which is called ‘sutaka da kone’. This room was kept simple and had no finery. Ladies of the household stay here during post natal care and during menstruation for a few days. Outside the house is the ‘kide’ or cowshed where the cattle are kept. Next to the kide there is a room known as ‘kotya’ or ‘barakala’ where farm labourers reside. Spade (kottu), pickass (pickaxe), kuruves (baskets), kathis (sickles) and other agricultural tools are kept here when not in use.

These houses have sloping roof with Mangalore Roofing Tiles. The tiles are known as ‘vodu’ or ‘odil’ add that old world charm to the house. This tile drains rain water easily during Monsoons. Ceiling tiles are lightweight used in the interior of buildings. The ceiling tiles are placed below the roofing tiles with air gap space. This may provide thermal insulation, sound absorption and improve the indoor air quality. The terracotta ceiling tiles usually have flower designs on them.

A few glass tiles are also placed on the roof to allow passage of natural light through the roof. These tiles are called ‘kuppi da vodu’. The domestic, social and climatic condition determines the structure of the house. The house also has a provision for sparrows to come inside as people then believed that they beget progeny. With their steep roof pitch, many old houses have tons of space at the top of the houses usually used as storage room. Antiques are likely to be found piled up here. This room is called ‘atta’ or attic room.

Vessels like kataras (cauldrons /over sized copper vessel with rings as handles), mandes, chembus, cheriges, karas, adyars, karejanas, kodapanas, topus (cooking pots), banales (kadai), kail (ladles), baldis (buckets), tondur da karas, padyas peekdanis and baranis (traditional porcelain pickle jars) which are rarely needed would be kept here. The attics had difficult-to access corners, and are used for coconut storage. This is because Tulunad landscape is dotted with coconut palms and these were stored and put to many uses like cooking, extracting oil and making many household and farm articles such as ropes and pulleys.

The backyard of the house has a vast enclosure where the paddy is threshed and hay is piled. This is known as ‘baita moote’. The number of baita mute denotes the agricultural holding of that house. A little distance from the house is the sacred grove called ‘Naga Bana’ which is basically where the serpent shrines are kept. The serpent shrines generally consisted of many granite stones on which serpent images were carved. Trees, hedges and shrubs around the images of serpent deities are always left undisturbed. Special Pujas are held at these shrines every month on Sankranti. Other rituals of Nagaradhane are also performed but they do not follow a distinct time pattern. Oral legend known as ‘pardana’ mentions that Bunts belong to the ‘Nagavanshi Kshatriya’ race. Therefore Naga rituals are observed by all Bunts.

Further away from the nagabana is the ‘Daiva – Sthana’ or ‘Bhuta – Sthana’ (temple of the folk deities). These spirit shrines are often simple square structures with a single cell and projecting roof in front. Inside the Bhuta - Sthana figures of the daivas made of wood or metal are kept for worship. In some cases it may be a stone or wooden piece that is symbolic of the daiva. The more flourishing physical form is either a stone pillar with a slab of stone at the top or a wooden pillar with a sofa at the top called ‘manchavu’ or cradles also called manchavus. These may have carvings or ornamentation sometimes. Annual ritual dances of the Bhuta Kola are held at these shrines.

The joint families of the Guthu had a privileged lifestyle. The family was attended on by a retinue of cooks and servants. The vast lands were cultivated directly or given out on ‘geni’ or annual rent, designated in ‘mudi’ or muras of rice. The rich recipients got thousands of muras of rice from their ‘vokkel’ or tenants. It also allowed them to indulge in sports like ‘Kambla’ or wet field buffalo races, ‘Kori Katta’ or cock fights, ‘Bayalata’ a kind of field drama and other cultural and folk entertainment events. Bunt houses have been the handiwork of some remarkable artisans. Such traditional bunt houses can still be seen across Tulunadu.