Vattapalli Matom

Vattappalli Matom is located in Suchindram, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India. Suchindram is one of the famous Shivaite and Vaishnavite temple places of the erstwhile Hindu kingdom of Travancore. It is about 7km from Nagercoil, and about 75km from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. It is one of the oldest houses in Suchindram village and the family is the chief priests of the Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple. The river Pazhayaar flows nearby and the temple pond Theppakulam is in very close proximity to the house.

Construction

The house was constructed around 1601 AD by Vattapalli Stanikars who were the Tantris of the Suchindrum Temple. The house complex continues to be one of the best examples of traditional Kerala architecture, and some portions of the sprawling complex are also the hallmark of traditional Kerala style architecture.

Unique Rooms

The Vattapalli Matom House complex consists of several structures:

• Edakettu or in between room
• Vadakathu - Room in the north
• Old well made of stone
• A 2-storeyed mansion at the centre of the complex

Other features

The Vattapalli Matom complex has several other interesting features:

• The house is located near Suchindram, Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu and the family of tantri's of Suchindram Temple resides here
• A big hall now bare, which can accommodate around 100 guests, and where ceremonial feasts were held, on auspicious occasions called Kizhekke oram.
• A flight of steps leads to a bathing pond, which has lost its freshness due to neglect and years of disuse but still is an old example of pond architecture.
• The house complex also has a section of curios and several interesting objects like chinese jars, granthas, oil lamps, thevarappura, library, wooden steps leading to top floors and intricate wood works:

See also

• Suchindram
• Vaikkath Pachu Moothathu

External links

• Vaikkath Pachu Moothathu — Ayurveda Practitioners of Kerala
• Art and Culture
• Kerala History
• Traditional Medicine
• Sivadwijasevasamithi
• Sivadwija

References

• C.K. Moothathu "Vaikkathu Pachu Moothathu" (1996)orig: (arch:)
• Gundert, Herman (ed.) Keralolpathi (The Origin of Malabar) (Mangalore, 1868)
• Sastri, Mananthala Neelakanta, Adi Keralam (Kozhikode, 1108 ME)
• Sivadwija Kaneshumari 2012(Published) by Sivadwija Seva Samithi, Ernakulam, 2012)
• The Census Report of the Kerala Siva Brahmins (published by Sivadwija Samajam,Ernakulam, 1928)
• Varma, A.R. Rajaraja, Kerala Panineeyam (Trivandrum, 1917)