An Evaluation of Spatial Organization of Dravidian Christian Architecture in Tamil Nadu: Case Study in Vellore District
摘要
The church architecture has witnessed degrees of refinement architecturally in terms of forms and details due to various factors around the world. During the centuries of Indian colonization, there were many different thoughts about the inculturation of Christianity in India. Liberal Western theologians and Indian Christian leaders encouraged people to be critical of the missionaries and the Western Christian theology and tried to indigenize it, which clearly indicated the presence of ·the spirit of nationalism. Many Christian religious structures that came up during this period tried to adapt and appreciate the local architectural styles in unique ways. After careful analysis from various sources, the church architecture in Tamil Nadu during the early nineteenth century exhibits a Dravidian architectural character with native architectural expression. Various examples of churches exhibiting native architectural expressions and styles are scattered in different parts of Tamil Nadu. Preliminary studies show that the spatial configuration of these indigenous churches also varies from that of the western-influenced churches of Tamil Nadu. Eventually, with time, the structures were forgotten and the Western architectural influence on churches gained dominance, and there is no proper detailed documentation or awareness of such a beautiful amalgamation of architectural styles. Most of these structures are now mostly neglected due to various reasons like changes in trust and management, proximity issues, etc. The crucial starting point for this paper is to investigate how the factors of cultural values and norms in indigenous society influence the church’s architectural form, spatial organization, shape, and style in Tamil Nadu. This study also compares the architectural characteristics of indigenous church architecture in Vellore with those of Western churches. As the authors are from an architectural background, they are very interested in preserving this living heritage of Vellore, which existed for a short period as there was no documentation or limited documentation. This research also explores how the conservation study of these monuments provides a new perspective and value addition to architecture, society, and the cultural matrix of Tamil Nadu.