At a time when classical music events usually take place in packed auditoriums and temple precincts, a 200-year-old ettu kettu in Tripunithura is offering a different kind of musical experience. Kannezhuthu Puthen Madhom, built during the reign of Kochi ruler Shakthan Thampuran, was originally designed to house a large joint family. Now, its corridors and open courtyards have found a new purpose. Over the past year, the ancestral mansion has become an extension of the Varaveena School of Music, which operates its main center from Valiya Thampuran Kovilakam in Irinjalakuda. The old residence is gradually transforming into a venue for chamber concerts, where performers and audiences share the same intimate space.
Upcoming Concert and Audience Experience
On June 13, Hindustani vocalist Ustad Wasim Ahmad Khan, accompanied by Pandit Sanjoy Adhikari on tabla and Niranjan Hegde on harmonium, will perform inside the sprawling eight-halled mansion. The audience will be limited to barely a hundred people. The concept is not to replicate the scale of a conventional concert hall but to bring musicians and listeners closer together, allowing audiences to engage more directly with the performance. “Intimate performances allow for a deep, conversational connection with the audience,” says Sreevidya Varma, founder of the Varaveena School of Music.
Origin of the Concert Series
This is not the first concert at the house. A year ago, during the 80th birthday celebrations of Subhadra Varma, a family matriarch, a performance was arranged in the same spot. It was not initially planned as a regular event, yet the experience lingered long after the evening ended. “We placed the musicians in a relatively small performance area next to the open nadumuttam,” recalls Sudheer Varma, one of the custodians of the ettu kettu. “It was raining lightly. The raindrops were falling into the courtyard. That combination, the music, the rain, the old building, felt different.” That evening reminded him of performances at the Navarathri Mandapam near Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple, a space known for its intimate atmosphere. Soon after, the family decided to open the ettu kettu for more such events.
Architectural Harmony with Music
The architecture of the house naturally lends itself to such gatherings. Rooted in the principles of traditional thatchu shastra and vastu, the ettu kettu is organized around two central courtyards. “The east-facing ettu kettu has a spacious sit-out supported by massive laterite pillars,” says Chandrika Varma, the senior-most female member of Puthen Madhom. “When you enter through the front verandah, the nadumuttam is surrounded on all four sides by broad corridors that can comfortably accommodate nearly a hundred people.” The house features eight blocks with two courtyards. Traditionally, the vadakkini (northern block) functioned as a prayer and meditation space, while the thekkini served as a repository for valuables and records. The kizhakkini housed the kitchen and dining areas, and the padinjattini contained the family’s living quarters. Inside the vadakkini are two rooms with floors once plastered with cow dung. One was used for funeral rites, while the other hosted rituals such as Ganapathy homam.
Life in the Mansion Then and Now
At its peak, Kannezhuthu Puthen Madhom housed 35 family members and around 10 servants. Today, descendants live in separate homes around the ancestral property, returning periodically for family gatherings and rituals. Chandrika Varma remembers the house in its fuller days, with strict separation between the women's and men's wings, each room carrying its designated purpose. Now, music has given it a new lease of life. “The corridors of this timeless architectural wonder now echo with the sweet resonance of veena, violin, and detailed raga alap by young talented artists,” says Chandrika Varma. “On June 13, the ancient structure will be blessed with the elite glimpses of the Agra gharana.”
