This is a typical Tamil home. At the entry to the house, you will be greeted by a lovely kolam (daily designs created with rice flour). The front porch will be a "thinnai" at the entry. This section displays your financial status. The more expensive your thinnai, the more complicated it appears. Traditional homes have three levels - the ground floor, first floor and second floor. The first floor has one room on either side of the entrance. They are called "idhu nelum irukkum" meaning "one room for eating food and other for sleeping". There is no separate bedroom for each family member. The children sleep in a single bed while their parents lie in another. On the first floor, there is also a small kitchen.
The second floor has many more rooms - some as big as the ground floor, some smaller. All the rooms have flat roofs which can be used for parking or growing vegetables. Each household owns its own well water which is stored in earthen pots placed outside the house near the road. They are refilled once in a while when needed.
A traditional home does not have any windows. Instead, there are wooden shutters on the doors which can be opened or closed as required. Some older houses may have glass windows but they are rare now.
Inside the house, you will find that everything is very clean and organized.
The courtyard in the inside of the house, as well as the raised verandah called the "Thinnai" in front or at times completely around the house, are some additional elements of Tamil Nadu traditional residences that are practically everywhere the same. They provide a place where people can go during different hours of the day or night and meet with friends or family members.
As for what makes up a traditional Tamil residence, besides the usual room for living in and an outside area for working and playing, it should also have a temple somewhere in the vicinity because Hindus believe their gods live inside them too. Of course, they would never say this out loud but rather refer to themselves as "myths" or "legends".
Even though India is a country where most people are either Hindu or Muslim, it is still common for individuals to follow several religions at the same time. For example, someone may be a Hindu by default since that's where most Indians get married, yet when it comes to praying to or meeting with saints (or "godmen") only certain ones work through representatives instead of personally.
There are three main types of houses in Tamil Nadu: Viharam, Tharavad and Palayakkam.
Mud or brick walls, a thatched or tile roof, and earthen or concrete flooring are typical of traditional northern Vietnamese houses. Large residences are built around courtyards and have open fronts with slanted red-tile roofs supported by hefty wooden pillars. The interiors feature wood furniture, bamboo mats, and ornamental plasterwork.
In the south, houses tend to be smaller, with flat roofs made of tiles or shingles. They may have two stories with an attic room above. Walls are usually made of cement blocks or wood panels. Floors are usually hardwood.
House designs change with time and according to individual taste. However, it is common for houses in Vietnam to share parts of their structure: the front door can be found on another section of the house, such as the back wall or side corridor. This allows for more space to be used inside the house without having to build it larger. It also helps prevent theft; if someone breaks into one part of the house, they will not get all of it.
People often rent rooms in their homes to other people who cannot afford to buy a house. This is called "room renting". Room renters pay a certain amount each month, which covers the owner's loss due to no one living in the room.
Northern Vietnam has many lakes and rivers, which provide water for irrigation and drinking.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 BindleyHardware & Co Inc.
