About Kanippayyur Family

Legends have it that, Parasurama, after creating the land from the sea, brought Brahmins to populate the land. Various professions, which were essential for the upkeep of the society, were distributed among them. Architecture and construction of temples, residences and public infrastructure were devolved on a few Namboodiri families and Kanippayyur was prominent among them.

All over India, Vasthuvidya–the science of architecture–was promoted through two institutions. They were the institutions of Silpis, the traditional craftsmen who preserved the hereditary knowledge of crafts, and traditional schools that imparted theoretical and practical knowledge, from which the Silpis invariably sought advice. In Kerala, the school that provided traditional knowledge was known as Sabhamatham. In the beginning of the eighteenth century, there were many such institutions in Kerala reputed in the area of applied traditional knowledge. Kanipayyur Namboodiripads belong to one such family of acharyas in central Kerala. The Kanippayyur family was adept not only in Vasthuvidya but also in Vedic study, tantra and astrology.

One of the most well-known acharyas among the Kanipayyur family was Subrahmanian Namboodiripad [1839-1910]. He was well versed in Vasthu shastra, Jyotisha, music, paintings (chitrakala) and mathematics and found royal patronage by being appointed as the superintendent of public works in the erstwhile Cochin state. He was responsible for preparing the designs and estimates not only for buildings but also for bridges, culverts and other public works. His brother Parameswaran Namboodiripad was also an expert in Vasthu shastra and wood sculpture.

The twentieth century brought the trailblazing Kanippayyur Shankaran Namboodiripad, who singlehandedly popularized Vasthu shastra (Sthapathya veda). His impressive and charismatic personality, forceful writing and no-nonsense attitude made him a legend in his lifetime. Shankaran Namboodiripad was recognized as the consultant for all temple renovation works in Cochin and Malabar. His opinions were also sought for temple works in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. He started work centres for making sculptures of deities and other structures connected with temples. He also established a printing press and wrote and published many books on traditional knowledge. The Yogakshema Panchangam (Almanac) was created by the Kanippayyur Namboodiripads. The almanac, in addition to being a calendar, is referred to determine the most auspicious time for holding functions such as weddings, naming ceremonies and stone laying for house construction in Kerala.

Kanippayyur Krishnan Namboodiripad–grand-nephew of Shankaran Namboodiripad and handpicked by him to uphold his legacy–has designed thousands of residential buildings, temples, churches and commercial and industrial establishments. His brother Kanippayyur Parameswaran Namboodiripad manages the family press, publications and the library, in addition to practicing traditional architecture. The youngest brother, Kanippayyur Narayanan Namboodiripad carries on the family tradition of astrology and is consulted daily by hundreds of people. He calculates and compiles the Yogakshema Panchangam. The family also includes Kanippayyur Hareethan Namboodiripad (Udayamperoor, Cochin), Kanippayyur Unni Namboodiripad and Kanippayyur Kuttan Namboodiripad as practitioners of Vasthu shastra.

According to Kanippayyur, the core principle of Vasthu shastra is to design and build without harming mother nature. The sun, the earth with its varied motions and magnetic field, and the wind patterns create forces that influence decisions regarding the location and orientation of any building. Similarly, the local weather, the nature of soil and the slope of the land are to be considered while designing the architecture so that the building is harmonious with nature.