This ‘Tharavadu’ (which means an ancestral home) is situated at Kunniyur, Kunikodu a place near Thirunneli in Wayand district. The walls of this house are more than a hundred years old. In the beginning, this house had a thatched roof with grass. Later it was replaced by traditional tiles. The house is built completely of clay. There are many rooms, an attic and a wooden stair to climb up. Lately the house has been electrified. Close to this tharavadu, there is another house which appears to be an out-house. The family members included a grandfather, his children and grandchildren. There were 30 people living in this home years ago. The owners of this ancestral home were landlords known as the Chettiyar families. They were one of the richest families in the region, owning acres of land. The other natives in Kunniyur were the Gowdas and Adivasis. The family lost its glory after the construction of Karapuzha dam when most of their land was under water. There is a two-storey building built of clay in the near-by compound in Nathanguni.
