Ever fell in love with a house after seeing it in a good old Telugu movie? Fascinated by its interiors more than the movie’s plot? You are not the only one! Whether real or a set, we have had an ancestral traditional home featured in a Telugu film as one of our favourite takeaways.
From regal porches, elaborate arches, sloping roofs, antique doors, sun-kissed courtyards, giant pillars and large halls to spacious rooms, rustic windows, ample yet cosy spaces, raised verandas, a well in the backyard, and unique cultural identity, these ancestral homes, traditionally referred to as Manduva houses (Manduva logillu), tell us centuries-old tales. More often, Manduva houses draw filmmakers to the lush green fields of coastal Andhra and get featured as a satisfying backdrop for their stories.
Many of the denizens are even lucky enough to have one such home in their grandmother’s village, which brings back many childhood memories with each visit. A few in concrete jungles wait for a festival to pack their bags, unwind in their comfort home. Manduva houses can be a peaceful retreat urban dwellers are always in search of. Of course, nothing can beat hearing the patter of rains while gathering at the vaakili (corridor) on a rainy Sunday morning to sip on a strong filter coffee, gazing at the wide sky from the comfort of one’s home. But, with changing times and preferences, such days are quickly disappearing, and many iconic Manduva houses are giving way to modern structures. Predominantly dotted in the state’s erstwhile Godavari, Guntur, Nellore, Kadapa and Vizianagaram districts, rarely will you find a real estate listing for one of these homes.
“But when you do, chances are it’s on the verge of being sold out,” realtor Srikanth from Vizianagaram said, adding that Manduva houses usually cost a bomb if they’re located in developing areas, owing to its age-old quality and oozing royalty. “But if it is in a remote village, the areas where these homes are usually found, the price would be much lesser. But, they require renovation,” he added. He said that a handful of villagers are opting to sell off their Manduva houses as they are relocating to cities, mostly because of employment reasons. “Some of them are renting these homes out to locals so as to preserve them and make a decent profit,” he added.
Those willing to own a Manduva house in and around Visakhapatnam district can find such houses for rent or buy in a few suburbs of Yelamanchili and Etikoppaka of Anakapalle district, and in a few areas of Vizianagaram town. But they have to win the waiting game. Most of the Manduva owners in prime areas may not be willing to sell the house, but you may strike gold if you patiently hunt for one. The owners usually rent out their homes to resort operators.
Despite the fact that Manduva houses are being left out due to factors like urbanisation, nuclear families, etc., it is humbling to see some families still holding on to these homes by renovating them with a modern touch, while keeping their cultural integrity intact.
The recent trend is that a few resorts in Visakhapatnam are opting for Manduva-type construction to entice tourists. With staycations catching people's fancy, those who own such houses but no longer live there are also turning them into guest houses. And those who wish to plan a staycation once a while are availing these options. But the prices to stay in these Manduva guest houses are sky-high. “Prices per day to stay in our Manduva logilli currently begin at around Rs 40,000 and go up to Rs 50,000,” said a resort manager from Kapuluppada in Visakhapatnam.
Elaborating on the current scenario of Manduva houses in and around Visakhapatnam, Confederation of Real Estate Developer’s Associations of India (CREDAI)-AP general secretary Subhash Chandra Bose said that many people are building Manduva houses to double them up as guest houses, and that the city has such guest houses in Kapuluppada, Silent Valley near Sontyam, Anandapuram, Bheemili, and on Dorathota Road. A few are catering to 20 to 30 people, while some can accommodate around 50 people. “The owners do sell these Manduva houses off but it is rare,” he mentioned, adding that prices can easily go beyond 1.5 crore and more in prime locations. To rent a Manduva guest house for a day, one has to shell out at least Rs 10,000 in Silent Valley, he said. Some are showing interest in constructing Manduva houses in small spaces on city outskirts, but it takes a lot of patience, more money and time to get them finished properly or to replicate the vintage Manduvas, owing to the kind of construction materials and designing process, he said.
Manduva houses are often painted red using Vadapalli tiles, and they mostly have rosewood or teakwood pillars around the courtyard. The houses put on a vintage show, but are prone to corrosion and termites in the long-run. The central open courtyard allows ventilation and sunlight. Owing to the joint family norm, earlier, large rooms and open spaces are common in these homes. A few Manduva houses even feature a copper pillar in the centre to facilitate discharge in events of lighting strike, and a purposefully designed courtyard to avoid water logging during rains — one of the endless reasons these houses are hailed as the most beautiful and rational constructions.
“Manduva structures represent heritage and indeed feel like home. The milieu we grew up in our childhood shapes a significant portion of who we are. These kinds of houses offer a sense of belonging that goes beyond mere structure. It is great to see people who still preserve such houses by either staying there or renting/selling them to others,” Subhash Chandra Bose opined.