It was not a palacios house but not small either, maybe 30 feet by 100? Yes, it is a long house with a ‘thinnai’ (an elevated floor for people to sit and chat facing the street), then a small ‘rezhi’ a passage hall with an attic above. Then comes the main hall in the shape of letter L. The ‘muttham’ occupies 50% of that hall. It is an open, free way to receive wind and rain. It would be fun to watch rain during the monsoon. Some of the water was collected for household uses. In the remaining 50 %, a small kitchen occupies 10% and the rest 40% is for common use and for dining. Adjacent to ‘rezhi’ there is a room for meditation and prayers. Almost all Hindu houses have a prayer room.

There was no furniture except a stool in the entrance to receive guests. In the dining hall everyone sits on the floor and eats. A warm meal is served from the kitchen by one of the females. Men are usually not allowed to cook or serve. After cleaning, the dining hall will be the rest place for night sleep. Females sleep inside and men sleep either on the rezhi or thinnai. Thinnai receives more air from the street but also noise from nocturnal activities of men and stray dogs. To protect one from these street dogs which may have their territorial fights at night, a bamboo thatched fencing was in place. Nandu and Sethu (cousin) sleep in thinnai and Anna (father) sleeps in rezhi and the rest of the family in the main hall. They all sleep on the floor one after...