Platform for Architectural Transfers in the Indian Ocean rim
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UPCOMING
CONVERSATION

12th June 2025
Thursday 5.00 pm IST

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Living Heritage: A Comparative Analysis of Housing, Rituals, and Social Practices of the
Chettiyar Community in India and their Adaptation in Malaysia
Madhumathi A. & Zahra Yasmoon (Vellore Institute of Technology)


This research investigates the living heritage of the Chettiyar community, a prominent mercantile group with historical roots in Tamil Nadu, India, by comparatively analyzing their traditional housing, rituals, and social practices in India and their adaptations within the Malaysian context. The study explores how migration and diasporic experiences have influenced the preservation and transformation of their cultural heritage. Through ethnographic fieldwork and archival research in both India and Malaysia, we examine the architectural nuances of Chettiyar homes, the continuity and evolution of their religious and life-cycle rituals, and the adaptations of their unique social structures and customs. This comparative analysis highlights the interplay between maintaining cultural identity and accommodating new socio-economic environments. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of heritage preservation in diasporic communities, showcasing the resilience and dynamism of living heritage in the face of geographical and cultural transitions. The research sheds light on the strategies employed by the Chettiyar community to negotiate their cultural identity across borders, offering valuable insights for heritage studies and diaspora studies.


The Big Blue Gate: A Case Study from Sri Lanka's Tsunami Resettlements


 Nirodha Dissanayake (University of Adelaide)


This research, part of a larger retrospective PhD thesis, investigates post-tsunami settlement schemes in Eastern Sri Lanka. Following the 2004 disaster, the economic diversification - contrary to the traditional vocational social system —facilitated by state-led architectural and planning processes, fostered a sense of social equity and personal agency.

The resulting ideological shift manifested in the built environment, with architectural expressions such as oversized blue gates symbolising new wealth and identity. At the aftermath of the civil war, these fishing communities are now more aspirational than ever to enhance their homes with signs of 'luxury', driven by women migrating to Gulf countries.

The Phenomenon of Transnational Migration and the Architecture of Remittances



Dipti Shukla (Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Dubai)

 
In today's globalized world, understanding how individual mobility shapes societal, cultural, and built environments is essential in migration studies.

While previous research has focused on migrants' influence on host cities, recent insights highlight the effects of reverse migration on home regions, exposing a gap in understanding the spatial expressions of migrant connections to their origins. Remittances, often seen as financial aid, also carry social elements-ideas, practices, and identities — that impact the built form, especially in housing. India, the leading global remittance recipient, has a significant Gulf-based diaspora, with Kerala at the forefront. This has led to the rise of distinctive 'Gulf houses,' which reflect transnational ties, socio-economic aspirations, and have reshaped Kerala's architectural landscape. This study investigates these homes as physical manifestations of migration-driven


PAST
SESSIONS

PATIO Conversation No. 10 | Nicholas Bill & Chee Kien Lai

PATIO Conversation No. 09 |
Swati Chattopadhyay & 
Megha Chand Inglis
PATIO Conversation No. 08 | Labib Hossain & Javairia Shahid
PATIO Conversation No. 07 |  Shaikhah Ali Alsalhi & 
Ali Javid     
PATIO Conversation No. 06 | Sarover Zaidi & Saniya Siddiqui
PATIO Conversation No. 05 | Mehwish Abid & Johann Peiris 
PATIO Conversation No. 04 | Meenakshi Jain & Richa Shah       
            
PATIO Conversation No. 03 | Anthony Wako & Dhaval Chauhan
PATIO Conversation No. 02 | Kairavi Maniar & Esa Shaikh
PATIO Conversations No. 01 | Chetan Sahasrabudhe & Ashmita Gupta
 






PATIO
CONVERSATIONS

PATIO Conversations are open to all; we aim to meet once a month, and scholars get an opportunity to share their work in progress. These presentations may be on a topic of their choice, which may relate to one or more of PATIO’s thematic umbrellas, or even critically reconsider and reconfigure our definition of particular themes. Participants may include independent scholars, Master's students, or aspiring PhD students as well as postdoctoral researchers who can contribute as speakers or choose to be an active part of the audience. Each such conversation foregrounds two scholars presenting their work for 20 minutes, followed by feedback from relevant respondents invited by the PATIO team in relation to the topic, and finally opening the discussion out to the larger audience. As such, PATIO Conversations offers a platform for critical dialogue while both disseminating recently completed work and providing mentorship to aspirant researchers, including potential PhD candidates. These sessions provide researchers with the resources to further their work related to the state of the field by involving active experts and engaging with current bodies of relevant work, published or otherwise. 
PATIO Conversations is directed by Saptarshi Sanyal and Sarah Melsens with the help of Thematic directors and Coordinators.