'Ainmane', heritage house of Kodagu, gets a facelift

‘Ainmane’, the heritage house of the Kodagu, is being renovated in the district.

‘Ainmanes’ have been a part of the culture of the district since time immemorial. The heritage houses were the ancestral houses of the Kodava and Gowda families. They were basically the dwelling places of joint families in the past.

The majestic ‘Ainmanes’ are still revered by the people of Kodagu and have a lot of sanctity. Understanding the relevance of these houses, many families have now been reviving the Ainmane houses built by their forefathers.

The Maleyanda family members at Nelaji village have revived their Ainmane which has a history of 400 years. The wooden doors, windows, pillars and other structures of the houses are either replaced or repaired to retain the glory.

Maleyada family development committee Chairman Maleyanda Ayyappa said that the original structure is being maintained while repairing the Ainmane. Around Rs 60 lakh was spent on the repair and there are 160 members in the family. All members have contributed to the revival of the house, he added.

He said “The need for preserving the house for felt for its precious wooden carvings. Earlier, there was no road approach for the house. But now, a concrete road has been laid. The house has to be handed over to the next generation. It is the duty of every family to preserve their Ainmane”, he said.

In the past, the elders in the family used to build Ainmanes which had a number of rooms. As there was an increase in the number of family members, they later built small rooms adjacent to the ‘Ainmane’.

The Ainmanes were generally built near the paddy fields and at a place where there was a facility of water. Most of the houses did not have road connectivity. As the times changed, the people started constructing houses in the vicinity of the roads. However, many Ainmane houses were dilapidated due to lack of maintenance. Now, several Ainmanes are being renovated.