TRIBAL HERITAGE VILLAGE, WAYANAD

INTRODUCTION :

WAYANAD , THE PANORAMIC HILL OF MALABAR IN THE NORTHERN KERALA, SITUATED ABOVE
THE SEA LEVEL RANGES BETWEEN 700 METERS TO 2100 METERS IS A NERVE CENTRE OF TRIBES
IN KERALA. THE TRIBAL COMMUNITY OF WAYANAD ARE A GROUP OF DISTINCT PEOPLE, WHO
MAINLY DEPENDS ON THEIR LAND FOR THEIR LIVELIHOOD, WITH DIMINISHING POPULATION
AND LOW LITERACY RATE.

THEIR NUMBER BECOMES ALL THE MORE SIGNIFICANT WHEN THEIR DISTRIBUTIONS IN TWO
OTHER CONTIGUOUS AREAS OF WAYANAD, IN THE GUDALUR TALUK OF NILGIRI DISTRICT OF
TAMIL NADU AND IN THE VIRAJPET TALUK OF COORG DISTRICT OF KARNATAKA ARE ALSO
CONSIDERED. 20% OF THE DISTRICT POPULATION IS INDIGENOUS/TRIBAL PEOPLES WHO
FORM 36.5% OF THE TOTAL INDIGENOUS/TRIBAL POPULATION OF THE WHOLE STATE.

TOTAL TRIBAL POPULATION IN KERALA- 3,64,189. WAYANAD HAS THE HIGHEST – 1,36,062

THE INDIGENOUS/TRIBAL PEOPLES OF WAYANAD INCLUDE 14 DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.

OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED BY THE STATE AS SCHEDULED TRIBES. THE KURICHIA, PANIYA, ADIYA,
THENUKURUMA AND MULLUKURUMA ARE THE MAJOR COMMUNITIES.

THE TRIBAL POPULATION HAVE THEIR ON TRADITION AND PRACTICES RELATING TO THE
SELECTION OF BUILDING SITES, ORIENTATION OF BUILDING AND RITUALS TO ACCOMPANY
CERTAIN STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION.

POVERTY AND ILLITERACY ARE THE TWO MAJOR REASONS THAT LED TO THE DECLINE OF
PANIYA COMMUNITY, A NEED FOR REHABILITATING THIS COMMUNITY IS VERY IMPORTANT
SINCE THEY CONSTITUTE THE VAST MAJOR POPULATION OF THE WHOLE OF TRIBAL
COMMUNITY.SINCE THE ILLITERACY RATE IS ALARMING IN THESE COMMUNITIES, AND SINCE
THEY KNOW NOTHING BUT PHYSICAL LABOUR, THEY FELL BACK, POOR AND STARVING,
STRUGGLING TO FIND THEIR LIVELIHOOD.
TRIBAL POPULATION DENSITY

SOURCE: DISTRICTS SENSUS HANDBOOK, WAYANAD

TRIBAL LITERACY RATE

AIM:
AIM OF THE PROJECT IS TO RESTORE THE TRIBAL COMMUNITY OF WAYANAD INORDER TO
ALLOW THEM TO EARN A BETTER LIVELIHOOD, MAKE THEM SELF SUSTAINED, EDUCATED AND
TO PRESERVE THEIR CULTURE AND HERITAGE.

OBJECTIVE
o IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE TRIBAL POPULATION AND A SAFE LIVING
CONDITION
o TO PRESRVE THEIR OWN CULTURE AND HERITAGE
o TO DEVELOP AGRICULTURE AS A PART OF THEIR LIFE
o TO DISPLAY THEIR PROJECTS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES
o TO DESIGN A VILLAGE FOR TRIBALS COMPRISES OF :
 ADMINISTRATIVE CENTRE
 TRIBAL HOUSING
 PERFORMING ARTS AND CRAFTS CENTRE
 TRIBAL SCHOOL
 TRIBAL MUSEUM
 SMALL SCALE INDUSTRY
 AGRICULTURE LAND
 DISPENSARY
 HERBAL GARDEN

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE PROJECT

o THE TRIBAL COMMUNITY OF WAYANAD ESPECIALLY PANIYAR COMMUNITY ARE THE

ONES WHO ARE IN NEED OF A BETTER LIVELIHOOD. WAYANAD IS THE DISTRICT WITH
LARGEST TRIBAL POPULATION IN KERALA AND THUS THIS IS THE BEST PLACE FOR THIS
PROJECT TO DEVELOP.
o AS WAYANAD IS A HILLY AREA , DISASTER RESISTANT BUILDINGS CAN BE
INCORPORATED IN THE DESIGN.
o DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRIBAL COMMUNITIES FOLLOW DIFFERENT SETTLEMENT
PATTERN AND DIFFERENT BUILDING TYPOLOGIES DEPENDING ON THEIR OCCUPATION
AND STYLE OF LIVING. THE STUDY AND UNDERSTANDING OF SETTLEMENTS AND THEIR
CONSTRUCTION METHOD IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE DESIGN.
 KURICHYAR SETTLEMENT
 PANIYAR SETTLEMEMT
 URALI SETTLEMENT
 VATTUKURUMBA SETTLEMENT
 EDAKKAL KURUMBA SETTLEMENT
o DIFFERENT BUILDING MATERIALS CAN BE USED DEPENDING ON THE AVAILABILITY AND
TECHNIQUES FOLLOWED BY TRIBAL COMMUNITIES.
 KACHHA ARCHITECTURE
 PUKKA ARCHITECTURE
 BAMBOO CONSTRUCTION

o SETTLEMENT PATTERN IN WAYANAND IS SUCH THAT FIELDS ARE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO

THE INHABITANTS AND HOUSES ARRANGED CLOSE TOGETHER SO AS TO MAKE
MAXIMUM INTERACTION SPACES.
o EACH SPACE CAN BE MULTIPURPOSE IN NATURE AND CAN THUS OFFER FLEXIBILITY
AND COMFORT TO THE USER.

METHADOLOGY