Frontiers of Architectural Research (2017) 6,96–107 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Frontiers of Architectural Research www.elsevier.com/locate/foar RESEARCH ARTICLE Visual perception on the architectural elements of the built heritage of a historic temple town: A case study of Kumbakonam, India K. Kiruthigan, K. Thirumaran Department of Architecture, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu 620015, India Received 1 September 2016; received in revised form 22 October 2016; accepted 26 October 2016 KEYWORDS Abstract Visual perception; This paper aims to investigate the changes in the virtual perception on the built heritage at the Built heritage; traditional core settlement of Kumbakonam Town at Tamilnadu and to analyze their implica- Ordinal regression; tions. Specifically, the major objectives of the study are (1) to identify the architectural Architectural ele- elements that manifest the built heritage of Kumbakonam Town and (2) to assess the ments; contributions of these elements to the changes in the visual perception of the town. To Historic town achieve these objectives, this study adopts an empirical model that analyzes the architectural elements of the buildings in the study area. Direct observations and documentations of 373 buildings are collected to analyze those elements that contribute to the changes in the visual perception on the built heritage of Kumbakonam Town. An ordinary regression model is used to examine the characteristics of the built heritage across the chariot processional route of the town. Several architectural elements, including pilasters, horizontal cornices, arched windows, and ornamental parapets, improve the image of the town. These empirical findings support the policy framework that enhances the visual perception of Kumbakonam Town. & 2016 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). 1. Introduction Born out of their deep-rooted heritage, historic towns all over the world have evolved into spaces for immortals. Built nCorresponding author. heritage is more than stone and mortar; these spaces E-mail address: [email protected] (K. Kiruthiga). represent the lifestyles, cultures, and traditions that are Peer review under responsibility of Southeast University. being passed across generations. Most historic towns exhibit http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2016.10.002 2095-2635/& 2016 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Visual perception on the architectural elements 97 townscape qualities and a great scope for learning the insensitively modifying the heritage buildings beyond recog- planning concepts (Gast, 2007). The physical elements of nition can make these historic towns look identical. Sig- these towns, including their streetscapes and skylines, add nificantly changing these towns and their heritage only to their beauty, their history, and the sense of belonging of decay their transformation (Feilden and Jokilehto, 1998). their inhabitants (Lynch, 1960). Over the years, the history The historical town of Kumbakonam is no exception. This of these towns has become a symbol of their image, which town has colorful gopurams that point to the sky and serve generally reflects the elements of imperial architecture. as a reminder that Kumbakonam was previously considered Historical towns have confronted new challenges and a center of medieval South Indian power (Nanda, 1996). The changes over the last few decades. Their monuments, visual perception of this town is reflected in its architec- sacred precincts, processional streets, and public squares tural elements. Silva (2006) argued that given the limited are all endowed with moonstones and have remained in visual perception of historic towns, particularly on their obscurity. Increasing the number of ubiquitous buildings and physical elements, special preservation programs must be 0 500 0 100 Color Index Town Boundary National Highways Street Roads Railway Line 0 2 4 Water body Figure 1 (a) Tamilnadu State map showing Thanjavur District; (b) Thanjavur District map showing Kumbakonam Town; (c) Kumbakonam Town map. 98 K. Kiruthiga, K. Thirumaran launched to improve the image of these areas. Therefore, The urban configuration of the town, such as its temples, an empirical study on the historic town of Kumbakonam tanks, civic buildings, religious institutions, Brahmin elite, must be performed to understand the significance of the arts, and crafts, contributes to the urban Tamil culture. The architectural elements of their built heritage. urban fabric of the town, including its temples, chattrams, This paper aims to examine the significance of the visual matams, agraharams, and paditorais, has made Kumbako- perception on the built heritage of Kumbakonam Town. The nam one of the best surviving ancient Tamil towns. Given its main objectives of this paper are (1) to identify the complex evolution, Kumbakonam Town has achieved an architectural elements that manifest the built heritage of esteemed position among other temple towns in India Kumbakonam Town and (2) to assess the contributions of (Nanda, 1996)(Figure 3). these elements to the changes in the visual perception of the The town has become a popular pilgrimage center over town. Direct observations and documentations of 373 build- the past centuries. The two holy tanks of Kumbakonam, ings are collected to analyze the architectural elements that namely, Mahamaham tank (Figure 4) and Pottramarai, are may contribute to the visual perception of the town. An recognized as the most sacred and beautiful tanks in India ordinal regression model is adopted to achieve the afore- and have been associated with Hindu mythology (Ayyar and mentioned objectives. This study also discusses various Jagadisa, 1920). Possibly the best sacred and ancient conceptions of visual perception, forecasts its significance, temple town in India, Kumbakonam is one of the few and suggests improvements in the current policy framework. remaining old settlements in the country where ancient This paper is divided into six segments. Section 2 describes rituals and traditions remain intact (Ring et al., 1996). The Kumbakonam Town and its heritage settings. Section 3 infrastructure of Kumbakonam Town can be traced back to presents the study area, the conceptual framework, and its Chola origins over a thousand years ago. The 15–17th the methodology for the empirical study. Section 4 presents centuries Vijayanagara Nayaka compilations as well as the the empirical study, highlights the significance of the ordinal 18th century Maratha intervention elegantly manifest the regression model, and discusses the dependent and indepen- dent variables. Section 5 presents and discusses the results. Section 6 concludes the paper. 2. Kumbakonam town 2.1. Profile Located 101570N latitude and 791230 longitude, Kumbakonam Town is a river-edge settlement in Tamilnadu, India. Figure 1 shows a map of the town, its districts, and location. The town is bounded by two rivers, namely, the Cauvery River to the north and the Arasalar River to the south. Kumbakonam Town has a gentle slope from the north to the south. With more than 188 temples scattered throughout the area (Conversion of City, 2007), Kumbakonam Town also serves as a religious center in the region. The town is famous for its Mahamaham festival, which is celebrated Figure 2 Government Arts College, Kumbakonam. once every 12 years. Kumbakonam Town has large-scale agricultural, trading, and commercial activities. The town has a large silk weaving segment and is famous for its Thirupuvanam sarees. Since the ninth century, Kumbakonam Town has been famous for its crafts, including textiles, sculptures, bronze casting, brassware, and gold jewelry, which also contribute to its commercial prosperity (Hunter, 1908). The town has also become a center of scholarship and was previously called the “Cambridge of South India” (Nanda, 1996). The bril- liance of its scholars has been widely acknowledged since the 20th century. One of the oldest educational institutions in Tamilnadu established in 1867 is also located in Kumba- konam Town (Figure 2). 2.2. Heritage and historic settings Kumbakonam Town occupies a unique position in Hindu mythology because of its invaluable inscriptions, iconogra- phy, and religious architecture. The town highly articulates cosmic geography and idiosyncrasy in its urban structure. Figure 3 Porter Town Hall, Kumbakonam. Visual perception on the architectural elements 99 history and heritage of the town (Kathleen, 1981). Cholas, currently located at the town center, has 21 wells, and has Pandyas, Krishnadevaraya, and Nayakas ruled Kumbakonam an area extending to 6.2 acres. Among these wells, nine Town until the British colonization, and these periods have represent the Holy River that flows across India, while the considerably affected the heritage settings of the town. other wells are named after their associated deities. The divinity of the tank has been associated with the complex 2.3. Mahamaham festival mythology and creation myth of the town. Hindus strongly believe that taking a bath in this tank during the Mahama- ham Festival will absolve them of their sins (Gajarani, The Mahamaham Festival in Kumbakonam Town is similar to 2004). the Kumbha Mela Festival in North India. This festival happens once every 12 years