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April 1, 2020 Astrology Share This Page

Channels Nangol Houses of Travancore

In Focus
by Dr. V. Sankaran Nair
Analysis
Cartoons
Education
Environment Centuries old Shree Padmanabha Swami
Opinion temple in the heart of Tiruvananthapuram city
Photo Essays
majestically proclaims its ancestry. This solid
Columns edifice, stands amidst the three star hotels and
Business multi-storied structures, challenging the
Random Thoughts
passage of time. The seven star buildings, with
Our Heritage the facade of a glorious past found in Chalai
Architecture Bazar, Manacaud and Perunthanni, is another
Astrology attractive sight. They were built
Ayurveda
Buddhism contemporaneously with the temple, but the design can be attributed a much
Cinema older date.
Culture
Festivals
Hinduism The name seven stars attributed to these buildings, might give a mild shock to
History
People many people. This low roofed structure built in timber is unique in many
Places respects. Oriented towards the east, all these buildings follow the same interior
Sikhism
Spirituality designs. The verandah facing the east has a pathayam made of wood, a granary
storing paddy seeds, which will be opened only on the tenth of the month of
Society & Lifestyle
Medam, when the sun is at its zenith. Apart from this, it served as a seat and bed
Health
Parenting of the head of the family, and is known as udampara. Next to this is thekkepura
Perspective and the valiyapura. These chambers are meant to be used for only tidy purposes.
Recipes
Society
In the thekkepura a wooden box with four tiny legs is used to keep clothes and
Teens valuables. Rice paddy is stored in the valiyapura. Behind these puras is the
Women
chityapura, meant for feeding departed souls or ancestors. Behind valiyapura
Creative Writings and thekkepura is a cell to keep paddy and later coconuts. This cell called
Book Reviews nilavara with an entrance from chityapura was cancelled by covering, when
Computing there was no paddy or coconuts to store. Crossing from the landing (Irayam) to
Humor
Individuality the northern side of the house, you enter through the door to an inner quadrangle
Literary Shelf called thottikkakam which is a quadrilateral verandah around a court yard
Memoirs
Quotes within the house.
Stories
Travelogues These seven starred mansions
Workshop are surrounded by outhouses
such as a kitchen in the
northeast, an uralppura in the
northwest, the gosalai in the
south east and kalappura in the
south west. The uralppura is
the place for pounding grain
and thekalappura is the
threshing floor.

With the increase in the number of stars, mandirs improve their status. Tiruvananthapuram
had to content with three star mandirs when other metros had five starred ones. Let us
however take solace from the fact that we had always had seven star mandirs and even claim
that those who lived in these mandirs were the upper crust of the society. If today's five star
buildings need aerodromes and wide high ways by their side, the old seven stars wanted only
footpaths by the paddy ranges.

Diwans (chief ministers) of Travancore like Veluthampi (Thalakkulam), Raja Kesavadas

(Kunnathoor), Nanoo Pillai (West Neyyoor), Valiya Padathalavan Eravikutti Pillai
(Keralapuram) hailed from houses of this pattern and their household estates can be seen in
Nanchinadu, known as the granary of the erstwhile Travancore. The House of Ananda Bose,
(the founder of the Nirmithi Kendra) at Kottayam, is one such. East facing and rising sun-
oriented houses with rooms having identical nomenclature are there in Tiruvanantapuram,
Kottarakkara, Nedumangad, Kovalam, Kallada. Names like thottikkakam, chityapura are
striking indeed. All these unique attributes made such houses a subject of study.

While the houses in Tiruvanantapuram look like boats sea /lake wrecked, the houses in
Palliadi, Muthalakurichi etc., in Kanyakumari district are by the side of the erstwhile paddy
fields, which had been taken over by plantations and coconut groves. Even now, in
Kollangode one can see elevated poomukham of houses facing such paddy fields. The house
of 'Minnal Parama Sivan Nair', a former senior Police Officer of Travancore is one such. The
arrival of roads and other allied facilities contributed to population density. After the matrilineal
system was abolished when paddy based agriculture holdings fragmented, paddy rice
holdings became coconut gardens. This style has become popular, and more households can
be expected to face the threat of extinction.

Padippura and Poomugham are built with the increase in the family earnings, and a symbol of
show off. The increase in the number of family members necessitated the construction of
more additional attachments named vadakkathinu vadakkathu and arappurakku arappura. At
this stage, the tarawad becomes more than a fifty member household. We have seen that
thethaiveedu is a combination of apura, chityapura nilavara, four faced thottippuram and the
four sub-houses in the four corners. A small household can live in this suite comfortably.

There is a thekkathu, a sacred place for worship of family deity, at the south of the main
house, usually with no idol. If at all there, it will be of Durga, inclined to southwest. The look of
the goddess' idol is at isana konu. In other places Easwara Kala Bhoothathan. In some house,
the objects of worship constitutes a pair of wooden sandals or a rod. Thekkathu of houses
havingkalari is known as Elankam.

Why such houses are called seven starred? It is an accidental tale.

The Birthday of Rice

From the surface soil where it grows, to the granary (pathayam, a large wooden
chest for storing paddy and the grains), the rice is worshipped and formed a
necessary ingredient in many a rituals. The talappoli festival held all over Durga
temples in Kerala, is an important one. Many virgins and married women, line up
in clean white garments, circumambulate the Durga temple with ululas in chorus
and offer their worship. They carry rice (paddy), flowers, neerajana in a plate
calledthalam. This thalam is the lion seat of Durga, and the poli is rice.

"Maid, born on Makam (asterism), comes out from the granary". To understand
the meaning of this well-known rhyme in these places, one should bear in mind
the fact that the Makam asterism in the second Malayalam month of Kanni is the
birthday of rice. Those who celebrated this festival on the Makam asterism
during August-September, every year, carry it as a sweet memory.

On this day, seven grains of rice are collected from the pathway, fallen from the
sheaf of harvested rice, carried on head from the fields and taken to the well for a
ceremonial bath. Two grains are then thrown away at these two places.
Remaining grains washed in water after applying turmeric paste. After adorning
these five grains with sacred ashes, sandal paste, kumkum, it is seated with
respect, on a pure cloth kept on a sacred platter (talam). After offering flowers on
the lighted lamp on thistalam the same is taken to the thekkepura in the
accompaniment of ululu in chorus by the household women. The air in the room
will then be purified by burning incenses.

On the sacred birthday of rice, no one will till or plough the land, boil paddy or
trade in rice. Rice soaked in milk (palchor) is the favorite of the goddess. On full
moon day this is an important offering for the Devi temples. A feast cooked at
home with jaggery, rice, coconut, turmeric and a pinch of salt was
a payasam cooked in the domestic kitchen by the household women in a state of
purity. This celebration in southern Travancore has assumed an importance given
to Onam elsewhere. The paddy grain enjoyed a complete rest on that day.

It is in the makam asterism that the procession of Saraswathi from

Padmanabhapuram palace to Thiruvananthapuram begins. The Navaratri festival
starts on makam day with puja of yoke and rice grains and culminates
invidyarambham. In other Dravidian localities this ritual is practiced in a slightly
different style.

It is difficult to confirm the date of origin of this ritual. It could be a traditional

matter only. Yet, let us examine, if there is any basis for the practice of choosing
five or seven grains as well as the importance of the makam asterism, the day
chosen for the celebration of the birthday.

Of the twenty-seven stars in the Hindu calendar makam asterism is the tenth and
is a cluster of five stars in the shape of a yoke (sapti). This asterism is a sickle to
the westerners. Makam and Kanni are thus symbols of rice cultivation. If the five
rice grains taken for worship represent the yoke, the number seven represent the
constellation popularly known as the plough star.

The eastern quarter is maghavathi, Lord Indra is maghavan that is the

worshipped one, and Indrani is magahani. Mahamaghavela is a
grand yaga. Mahamagham ormamankom or makhamagam was a festival
conducted once in twelve years.Makam also has become less of a favourite with
people.

Makam was invested with royal aura since it was in the ayanothara position
while the utharayana ends and dakshinayana starts. The Mahavishu position has
shifted from Medam to Meenam, just as the position has shifted
from karkidakom tomithunam.

The saka era (AD 78) starts from the time of the Satavahana (saka) that was 2526
years after Yudhisthira's reign ended. The Saptarshis were in makam asterism,
and continued in that position for hundred years. In kaliyuga they are in
the chitthirastar. Now we will find more about the makam asterism.

Regulus

The
bitter cold winter nights disappear giving way
to warmer spring nights to gaze at the sky. The Big Dipper appears as an
impressive and easy to recognize constellation and serves as an aid to locate
other constellations. Regulus, one of the brightest spring stars, with a sparkling
blue color, lies south of the pointer stars in the Big Dipper and to the northwest
of Virgo. The rest of Leo's body, legs, and tail extend to the east. Brightest star in
Leo, Regulus is a zodiacal constellation in the northern hemisphere between
Cancer and Virgo. Zodiac is a belt-shaped region in the heavens on either side to
the ecliptic and Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac. It is divided into 12
constellations or signs for astrological purposes. The sun is in this sign from
about July 23 to August 22.

Leo the lion that has long been associated with the arrival of spring dominates
the spring skies in the northern hemisphere and autumn skies in the southern
hemisphere. It is the only constellation that signals the arrival of the mild
weather in the northern hemisphere. Leo clears the eastern horizon at the end of
evening twilight and by the end of the month it is high in the east as darkness
comes. It is said that March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb. True,
March comes in with a lion, the constellation Leo, and with it comes the breath of
spring.
Leo's midnight culmination is around March 1 and the
constellation is close to overhead as darkness falls. Leo is a
star formation, a crouching lion facing westward. It has a
distinctive head and mane formed by a sickle-shaped set of
stars with bright Regulus, marking the handle of the sickle.
The sickle of stars looks like a reverse question mark and the
Regulus serves as the period of the question mark. Behind the
sickle, toward the horizon in the east, three stars form a small
triangle that marks the rear of the Lion.

The Great Dipper, rising upward with its handle downward

toward the northeast during March, one can go directly
through the bottom of the dipper bowl to find the Lion, go
about three times the length of the Dipper handle from the bottom of the bowl. Leo can be
located with its brightest star Regulus, in Leo. Regulus is said to be 100 times as luminous as
the Sun.

Most visible of the constellations during spring in the northern hemisphere, Regulus is often
called the "heart of the lion." Marking the heart of the great lion in the sky, it gave the celestial
creature life. Leo has always been associated with the Sun, moving through the zodiac was
thought to regulate the seasons. From this, many have supposed that it regulated affairs on
earth as well as ruling the heavens. Regulus, the luminary star of Leo, has been called the
"regulator" of heaven. No wonder in Latin Regulus means "little king".

Around the time of 2300 BC, Regulus was called the flame star or red fire. This was because
of the Sun being near the area of the sky which Regulus occupied. It was thought that
Regulus teamed up with the Sun and the combined heat was responsible for the hot weather
during this time of the year. Much later, Sirius, the brightest star in our sky, earned the same
reputation when precession of the Earth's axis shifted the Sun to be near Sirius during the hot
part of summer.

Regulus forms one part of the Spring Triangle. Facing south, and looking about halfway
between the horizon and zenith, is a bright bluish star called Spica, in the constellation Virgo,
the Virgin.

Magha meaning the mighty one or the great is located near the forehead of the Lion. Its
symbol is a palanquin, the royal seat upon which the king was carried through the towns he
ruled. Ruled by Ketu, Magha's yoni (source) is Rat. Its motivation is Artha. Its ruling deities
are Pitris, the great fathers of humanity. They function as guardian angels giving protection in
the event of major calamities on earth. The original progenitors of the human race, as
the Pitris are considered; they are still worshipped in traditional Hindu families even today.
They help to maintain traditional cultural purity. The Pitris represent ancestral pride and
personal power. The words pitru,pritutheertham relate to father. The star makam also is
known by this nomenclature- it is the day of the tenth star-suited to perform duties to 'the
father.'

Magh (a), the eleventh month of the Hindu calendar, corresponds to January in the Gregorian
calendar. Hindu calendar is the lunisolar calendar governing the religious life of the Hindus.
An extra month is inserted after every month in which there are two new moons (once every
three years). Any lunisolar month in the Hindu calendar is known as the Hindu calendar
month. Vaivaswatha Manu's astronomical calendar is based on the Ursa Major Cycle. The
constellation of Ursa Major stays in a constellation for 100 years. It is that of the Seven
Rishies (Seers), moving along the Zodiac in retrograde motion taken 2700 years to complete
one circuit.

Ursa Major, the Great Bear, was in Regulus (Magha) at the start of the Mahabharatha War. In
Malayalam the tenth constellation maka is known as nennol (nangol).

Constellation
A constellation is an apparent configuration of stars when seen from Earth, formed in a
pattern. They are fortuitously associated in mythological or pictorial grounds. There are eighty-
eight recognized constellations. There are also asterisms, smaller apparent star patterns
within a constellation, like the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, and the Pleiades (in Taurus).
Asterism is a cluster of stars that constitutes a small constellation and is easily recognized
groups of stars.

Either one of the Bears is called Ursa in astronomy. They brightly illuminate the night sky and
are known as Ursa Major, Big Dipper, the Great Bear, Charle's wane, Plough, Wagon; and the
Ursa Minor, Little Dipper, Little Bear and the like in different countries.

The Akshamala seen in the northern hemisphere like a string of pearls was known as
Arundhathi. According to Puranas Vasishta had three births and Arundhathi was his wife in all
the three births. In the second birth Arundhathi was known as Akshamala.

The Saptarshi Mandalam

Ursa Major is one of the most conspicuous of the northern constellations, outside the Zodiac
that rotates around the North Star. Situated near the pole, it contains 53 visible stars, seven of
which form a group of seven bright stars, which form the Big Dipper in the Northern
Hemisphere. The constellation Ursa Major and its two brightest stars, Kratu (Dhubhe) and
Pulahan (Merak) point to the North (Dhruva) Star, Polaris and are known as pointers. Pointer
is a mark to indicate a direction or relation.

Look along the handle of the Dipper for the next to last star. This pair star Mizar with its
companion star called Alcor, has long been used as a test for eyesight. Seeing Alcor with the
unaided eye is considered as having good eyesight.

The Big Dipper high overhead in the northern sky is upside down, pouring its celestial
contents in the night sky. Seven stars in the constellation Ursa Major is also known as
Septentrion (Sep-ten-tri-o). Here septem is seven and the triones plural of trio is, a plow or ox
according to Funk and Wagnalls, International Dictionary. In India this group of seven very
bright stars is known as Saptarshi. In Tamil it is known as ezhumeen. They are visible when
the sky is not overcast. The plough as it is known in England rises from the North Pole and
sets in the northwest. For the Americans they are the big dipper.

It is necessary to study these concepts in the puranas to learn about the perception prevalent
in those days.

Nancil/ nangol means a plough. Nanchinadu means the land of the plough. The Indians who
called it a plough saw Marichi at the handles' end and the sixth star is Vasishta besides
Arundhathi. On the northeast side are Pulasthya and Pulahan. This line ends in Dhruva that is
the plough's sharp end points to the Dhruva star.

Nangol, a Dravidian word, implies a group of stars in the shape of the plough. It rises in the
Dhanu rasi, one hour after sun set. As a part of the beginning for the preparation for sowing
paddy seeds, it marks time to empty the paddy field by pumping out water with the help of
water wheel, known as chakrapathayam.

A dipper is a long handled bowl shaped utensil used principally for dipping liquid. It is also
referred as a ladle, a spoon-shaped vessel with a long handle; used to transfer liquids. Dipper
is known fortekkotta, a vessel used for bailing out water.

The stone vessel or bucket to collect water is known in Malayalam as thotti. The suite meant
for the women in the taiveedu is called as thottikkakam. During rainy seasons, from the roof of
the four talams, slanting towards the thotti, rain pours down heavily. The water, collected in
the bucket like structure, empties automatically, trickling down to earth reinforcing the well and
the tank in the vicinity of the house. This part of the house resembles the dipper in the Big
Dipper formation.

Dhruva Mandalam
A star that is located almost due north or due south and is useful for navigation is known as
pole star. Polaris is the pole star of the Northern Hemisphere and is the brightest star in Ursa
Minor.

Also called the Lodestar or the Cynosure, Polaris is the guiding star, a star that is used as a
reference point in navigation. Tara means that which helps a boatman. Tharaka indicates the
course of the night Dhruvatara is believed to be an old name of taraka. For our
ancestors, tarakawas a guiding light. Tara also means footprints. We may even know more
about our ancestors foot prints by looking afresh at Dhruvathara.

The shape of the Dipper is so distinctive that it cannot be overlooked and is extremely useful
as a guide for locating other stars and constellations. Ursa Minor is usually found and it
resembles a faint and distorted version of the Ursa Major.

As the earth rotates the celestial pole remains stationary while all other objects appear to
circle it slowly. At its brightest, Polairs is about 6,000 to 10,000 times brighter than the Sun.
Only in the north, pole star could be seen directly overhead. It is the larger star at the end of
the handle of the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor).

Riksha is that which covers up darkness. It also means bear in the sense, one that kills. The
end of an aksha is known as Dhruva. The Polaris/pole star is one such. This is one and a half
degrees in a slanting position.

Mahabalu and Balu are identical. In size Balu is one third of Mahabalu. Ursa minor starts from
Polaris. Dhruva is known as Pole, because of its immobile nature. But even that moves on
close observation. Dhruva can be seen moving from the north to west while the earth moves
east circling the sun, Dhruva moves to the west.

Dhruva shining bright has been guide to travelers and so mentioned in puranas. The line
Dhruva- dhruvam- Marichi starting from the Marichi star, the edge of the handle of the plough
points to the north towards Dhruva. These two stars of the plough are also known
as Dhruvadarshi. It is easy to draw the plough Dhruva line.

The pole, which is used to tie the cow, is known as the methi. Methi is also known for the
yard for storing paddy grains. The word Dhruva is used to in the sense of a permanent, firm
one inBhagavatha Puranam, preparing the paddy by using bulls is compared to the Dhruva
star. On the north western corner of the house a small building is constructed for preparing
rice from paddy, known as kalappura. Kalappura takes the place of Ursa Minor of
the Balu group of stars.

Saptarshis in Indian Thoughts

According to Vishnupurana, Rudra originated from the forehead of Lord Brahma. At the same
time Dharma concept, the basis of all creations also originated. If the samkalpa came from
Brahma's will power, dharma came from his satwa. From his breath came Daksha. From both
of his eyes came Marichi, Bhrigu. Angiras came from his forehead, Atri from the ear,
Pulasthya from the udanan, Pulaha from vyanam, Vasishta from saman, Krathu from apana.
All the twelve are born of Brahma.

The seven organic holes in the head of man that is the ear, nose, eyes and mouth were
considered saptarshis in the Vedas. Brahma created them from his breath. One can attain
salvation by realizing the seven pranas. These pranas are doors leading to immortality. On
death, when the body perishes, the breath joins the Brahman.

Like a bull tied to the yoke is pranas tied to the human body.
The Mundakopanishad comparesprana to the nucleus of a wheel. According to
the Sathapatha Brahmana, the saptharshi are seated in the eyes, ears, mind and breath.

Application in House construction

Our ancestors who viewed the North Pole as the seven stars and plough as the seven organs
of the human body, and also as saptaprana, they did not write about the application of the
saptarshi concept in their own dwelling houses. However the taiveedu that survived centuries
remains as an outline of what they had about saptarshis in their mind.

Varahamihira, the author of Brihatsamhita (AD 550) and one of the nine gems of the court of
Vikramaditya mentions saptarshis. They are in the following order, from east to west- Marichi
(Alkaid), Vasishta (Mizar), Angiras (Alioth), Atri (Megrez), Pulastya (Phecda), Pulaha (Merak),
Krathu (DuBhe), Arundhati (Alcor), Dhruva (Polaris). We have seen that taiveedu is an
arrangement of thekkepura, valiyapura, chityapura, cellar and four verandas around a
courtyard within a house. If these puras can be named as Marici, Vasishta, Angiras,
Arundhati, Athri, Pulasthya, Pulaha, Krathu respectively, the emerging picture is that
the taiveedu embody the plough or saptarshis. Let us remember that the word Salini means
paddy and also Arundhati. After all the nilavara is the original place for storing rice paddy, and
it represents Arundhati. Thetekkathu is an embodiment of Makam (nennol). As for as
the kalappura of taiveedu, tekkathu, andkalappura are a replica of the north polar
constellations of Ursa Major, Regulus and Ursa Minor respectively.

In the Saptarshi mandiram thekkepura (Marici) and kalappura the

threshing yard (Dhruva) when connected by a straight line takes the
shape of a single spoke of swasthika. In traditional constructions
swastikas full shape is incorporated in the construction of
the nalukettu.

The architectural style incorporating a full swastika form is an ancient

concept. In the early days of agriculture when technology was not fully
developed, such conceptions were enough. The seven star mansions
were adequate to understand seasons and organize agricultural activities and the style based
on agriculture was suitable for those periods.

The ancients considered man as a miniature universe. They linked the pattern of the human
body with the scheme of the universe. The sushumna is one of the seven nerve centers.
When a yogidies, the breath goes out rupturing the center. The top of the head is considered
the North Pole. The heavenly journey is a rise from the kundalini to
the sahasram. The sushumna is invisible connected with the aksharekha, which is invisible to
the naked eye.

The essence of the universe that has been comprehended in this pattern of house
construction has also evolved in it a social order appropriate to that
understanding. Grihasthasrama is the second of four ashramas (stages) in one's life. Here the
householder, along with his family forms the basic unit of the Indian social order. This social
organization is peculiar to India similar to the larger Indian views of the universe.

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22-Jan-2004
More by : Dr. V. Sankaran Nair

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