Palakkad native Ajith, who had been living in Bahrain, had always nurtured a dream home which would be an expression of his own personality and deep love for nature. The excited NRI gets candid about his love for mud houses and proudly shares the details of 'Paithrukam,' his dream abode.
He had taken a sabbatical from his job in Bahrain to plan the construction of his house in Palakkad. Other than doing some research on his own about mud houses, Ajith wasn't financially secure to build a home. He had however planned to avail a housing loan from the bank
Ajith says that he had decided way back, in 1989, that he wouldn't build a concrete house where cement plastering is used. He shares an interesting story behind his obsession for mud houses which he believes is close to nature. Ajith recalls reading a feature published in the July 1989 weekend special edition of Malayala Manorama, written by Jijo John Puthezhathu about a beautiful mud house. It was a house built by renowned architect professor Eugene Pandala for a person named Jijendran in Kollam.
"I went and saw that house. Later I met Eugene Pandala at his home. That house was truly an architectural marvel, built just using the mud which was available when a canal was constructed as part of the Kallada irrigation project in Kollam. It was constructed using the cob technology which didn’t adhere to the traditional building methods," notes Ajith. He says that he was overwhelmed by the unique features like the curved walls, inbuilt cupboards and cots done in mud, and the roof in filler slabs, which enhanced the charm of that house. However, Ajith had waited patiently for 23 years to finally build the mud house of his dreams. By 2010, the family had begun seriously planning about building a house in their home town.
A plot which would amazingly accommodate the mud house was purchased by the family. Ajith had also visited famous architect G Sankar, who widely promotes environmental friendly homes, to seek his advices on building a mud house. After a few discussions and planning, the ace architect drew a plan which perfectly suited the tastes and preferences of the family members.
Ajith was also able to meet engineer Sreenivasan, who is the son in law of popular writer Sara Joseph. "I understood that the technology developed by Sreenivasan was the only one which could successfully execute smooth mud plastering on the walls of mud houses. Besides, he supplied trained artisans who were experts in smooth mud plastering. The construction of the walls, structure and the main slab were done under his supervision," explains Ajith.
The walls were built with mud blocks joined using wet mud. At some places wet mud was rammed into wooden frames made in the width of a wall. A mixture was made with mud, a small ratio of sand and lime to fill in the wooden frames to build the walls.
It is observed that even the remaining eggs of termites in the mud would be destroyed when lime or calcium oxide is used. The structure was constructed with the help of main slab filler technology. In this technology, old roofing tiles would be placed in intervals between the slabs and the gaps were filled with ordinary concrete.
Ajith vouches that this technology would help to reduce the cost of construction significantly as 30-40% less iron bars, cement and sand are used in this method, comparing to the traditional concrete plastering. The plastering of the walls was done in two stages. The base was a rough coat, and after it has dried well, a smooth finish coat would be applied.
The mud mixture used for the rough coating was prepared by stamping on a mix of mud, paddy husk, quicklime and the thick liquid obtained by crushing a creeper called Oonjal valli which is widely available in places like Ottappalam. This mixture was applied on the walls and levelled using wooden planks, in a rough texture. Later, when this coating has been dried up, it would be finished off with the smooth finish coating.
This mixture was prepared by mixing finely powdered mud, a small amount of cement, a bit of lime powder and water. The paste, mixed using legs should have a smooth consistency like the tooth paste. It would be applied on the walls as a thin coating and smoothen it out. It should be scrubbed well to attain a smooth and glossy finish. After this coating has been applied, the walls would be sprinkled with kerosene to seal the plastering in. It should be noted that the color of the mud coating wouldn't be faded for life long. So, it helps to save on the repainting and maintenance cost as the walls remain clean and shiny even after so many years.
The windows and door frames were sourced from a nearby shop which sold old objects. These windows and doors made in the traditional style elevated the charm and rustic look of the house. The wooden planks made with palm tree and coconut tree stumps were used for the flooring and as skirting on the walls. Beautifully woven bamboo mats, bought from Uravu, a research facility in Wayanadu which supplies treated bamboo, were used as claddings on pillars.
Cheaply available clay tiles, and natural stone blocks like kota, kadappa and jaisalmer were paved on the floor in some parts of the house. The entire construction of the house got over in one and a half years. The family aptly named their dream abode 'Paithrukam' as it a mesmerizing structure which pays tribute to the tradition, culture and art of Kerala.
Ajith says that the temperature inside the house would always be at least 10 degrees less than the blazing Palakkad summer. "I consider my house as breathing, living object and we shower lots of love and affection to it. It must be reason why we haven't seen any termites, cob webs, cockroaches and lizards, which are commonly seen in houses, in Paithrukam. At the nearby plot, we have placed old wooden planks and card board bits for the termites to chew on. They attack the house when they don’t get enough food outside. Similarly we throw rice balls mixed with jaggery at different places around the plot for the ants as well," Ajith explains about how he keeps the termites away.
The family, which promotes the ideal of protecting biodiversity, has pledged their support to the cause by building a house which is in close contact with the nature. Ajith says that 'Paithrukam' is a manifestation of his belief that the universe would do everything possible to make our dreams come true if they are true. He adds that despite struggling a lot during the construction of the house, every moment spent in his dream home is a blessing.
