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Preserving Triplicane's Agraharam Heritage

This dissertation aims to analyze the decline of traditional houses in the Triplicane agraharam in Chennai. The agraharam, built around the 8th century Parthasarathy Temple, originally contained lines of traditional houses along streets surrounding the temple. However, many houses have been replaced by apartment buildings in recent decades. While other Chennai agraharams are now fully commercialized, Triplicane still retains some heritage houses. The study will examine the factors leading to the houses' decline and make recommendations to preserve what remains of the neighborhood's architectural heritage. Key research questions address what caused the traditional houses to decline and how the heritage precinct can be saved from vanishing entirely.

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144 views4 pages

Preserving Triplicane's Agraharam Heritage

This dissertation aims to analyze the decline of traditional houses in the Triplicane agraharam in Chennai. The agraharam, built around the 8th century Parthasarathy Temple, originally contained lines of traditional houses along streets surrounding the temple. However, many houses have been replaced by apartment buildings in recent decades. While other Chennai agraharams are now fully commercialized, Triplicane still retains some heritage houses. The study will examine the factors leading to the houses' decline and make recommendations to preserve what remains of the neighborhood's architectural heritage. Key research questions address what caused the traditional houses to decline and how the heritage precinct can be saved from vanishing entirely.

Uploaded by

Akshaya
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

DISSERTATION

REVIVING THE VANISHING AGRAHARAM


THE CASE OF TRIPLICANE

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2018804002
SYNOPSIS
INTRODUCTION

An agraharam is a customary organisation for Brahmin settlements. Agraharam denotes ‘a


garland of houses’ – primarily a reference to the lines of houses on either side of the roads
surrounding temples. These kinds of settlement started in south India during the Pallava period
since they followed vedas.

Agraharams today are a vanishing part of Chennai’s heritage. The few traditional agraharam
houses that are still there have become an anomaly in a neighbourhood once dominated by
them. Many of the traditional houses are giving way to concrete structures and commercial
buildings.

TRIPLICANE is one such agraharam. Triplicane is one of the oldest neighbourhoods that is part
of the Chennai city today. It is believed to be older than the city itself with evidences from the
Pallava period. The agraharam quadrangle seen in Triplicane is around Parthasarathy temple
and its tank. Originally built in the 8th century by the Pallavas, it is a Vaishnavite temple and one
of the 108 divyadesams, dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The streets surrounding the temple, called
maada veethis, were lined with traditional agraharam houses. These are now being replaced by
apartment buildings that are eating out the charm of the area.

Unlike other agraharams in Chennai, like Mylapore and West Mambalam, Triplicane is not fully
commercialized yet. There are more heritage houses here and has the scope of being
conserved. It is important to realize that agraharams are a dying part of our architectural
heritage and preserve atleast what is left of it.

KEYWORDS

Agraharams, architectural heritage, traditional housing, preservation

OBJECTIVE

This paper aims to understand the fabric of the Triplicane agraharam and to analyse the
reasons that have led to the decline in number of traditional houses. The paper will also
establish possible ways preserve the heritage of the area through necessary measures.

RESEARCH QUESTION

RQ 1 – What has led to the decline in the traditional agraharam houses?

RQ 2 – How can the heritage precinct be saved from vanishing entirely?


CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION

 Agraharam architecture
 Scope of the study
 Need for the study
 Why Triplicane?

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

 Understanding the fabric


 Studying the spatial layout of the agraharam and its houses
 Analysis through comparative studies (using case studies)
 Deciphering the reasons for decline
 Suggestions of measures to stop further decline

3. LITERATURE REVIEW

 History of Triplicane
 Agraharam of Triplicane
 Layout of the agraharam

4. ANALYSIS

 Spatial analysis
 Case study analysis
o Local Context
o Agraharam that is still existing
 Timeline of the change in the fabric
 Factors involved in the decline of the agraharam

6. RESULTS AND INFERENCE

7. CONCLUSION

 Strategies to preserve the agraharam in the form of guidelines and form based codes.
READINGS AND REFERENCES
Fuller, C. J. and Narasimhan, Haripriya (2010) The agraharam: the transformation of social space and
Brahman status in Tamilnadu during the colonial and postcolonial periods

V. Rangandham Chetty (1948) History of Triplicane and Sri Parthswamy Temple

Safrin Rex Dulcie .J, Strategy for Flexible Spaces in Housing – A Study With Reference To Agraharams in
Kumbakonam, International Journal of Advance Research, Ideas and Innovations in Technology,
Volume3, Issue6

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