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`Manduva' Houses in East Godavari

82-year old `Manduva’ house attracting with modern outlook

Manduva house entrance

 MADHAVARAYUDUPALEM (East Godavari): A small gram panchayat with 5 thousand population in Kadiyam mandal in East Godavari district is having a distinct features including a 82-year old `Manduva’ is being renovated and restructured last year with all modern amenities and latest fixtures.

The Manduva house in this village is owned by Annamdevula family traditionally from 1930’s. Mr. Annamdevula Suraiah constructed this on August 4, 1931 by bringing logs of teak and rosewood from Kotilingala Ghat of river Godavari in Rajahmundry. Mr. Suraiah spent Rs.3 thousand for wood on entire Manduva house at that time.

Simhadwaram of the Manduva

       After a gap of second generation, Annamdevula Veera Venkata Satayanarayana, who is popularly known as Chanti is representing third generation got an idea of renovating the entire Manduva. He and his wife Vijaya were elected as Surpanch for two consecutive terms and both served as MPTC member and Mandal Presidents respectively from 1988 to 2011.

Central hall of Manduva House

AIR-CONDITIONED, SOLAR SYSTEM: When Mr. Chanti took up the renovation, the walls of Manduva house was constructed with gummy soils or red bricks and the roofs were supported by logs of teak wood. So, he varnished and painted the wood including the main door (simhadwaram) which was beautifully carved with attracting designs. Top of the roof were covered with red tiles (Vadapalli penku) which was removed and again the same red tiles were arranged to bring old look and keep the tradition intact. The inside of Manduva logili was with a common hall and several spacious rooms spanning in all four directions. All these rooms are air-conditioned. The common hall was beautifully decorated with illumination in colours. The roof of the house was supported by several giant wooden pillars. The center of the common hall was topless to let the air and light come in, but it was partially closed and arranged a pipe to drain out the rain water from the top falls into a small constructed pit through the pipe.

GRAND ENTRANCE: Entrance of the house looks like entering into a temple with beautiful wood carvings and large size photos on either side with Anantha Padmanabha Swami in a glass case on the top.

         “Except, air-conditioners every thing runs on solar system in my house. Nowadays, this kind of houses is under extinction because of urbanization, western culture influence and downfall of traditional joint family system”-said Mr. Chanti.

       The entire Manduva is with perfect Vastu and there is a home theater to screen movies, meeting hall, outhouse with high-tech facilities, that too without disturbing old structure with `Boshanam’ (huge wooden box) and 1930’s old traditional iron safe, `patte mancham’ (wooden carved bed) are other interesting items to see in this Manduva.

MODEL PANCHAYAT WITH GOOD REVENUE SOURCE: According to Mr. Chilukuri Srinivasa Rao, State Vriksha Mitra Awardee, it is a record that Madhavarayudupalem got best Gram Panchyat and Nirmal Puraskhar twice for its maintenance under Ms. Vijaya and Mr. Chanti. Both of them laid mango trees all along the route from Jegurupadu to their village (3kms) and the revenue from the yielding will be given to development of the Gram Panchayat.

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