The Village

Several villages make up the administrative district of K.V.Kuppam with the village of K.V.Kuppam at the centre. The village itself is more like a small bustling town but it is very rural in culture and outlook. The district is on a broad plain about 7km north of the Palar River which at most times is just a dried up channel. This plain runs between two ranges of hills which give the area the feeling of a large valley. To the north are the foothills of the Nandi Hills, north of Bangalore. To the south are the Javadi Hills, which extend south west to form the Nilgiri Hills.

There are several different styles of houses in the village, depending on the wealth or poverty of the family. Many families live together in a large house, sometimes built around an inner courtyard. Usually a bride will go to live with her husband’s family. There are quite a number of concrete houses now in the village, owned by wealthier villagers. These have several rooms and a flat roof which has a tar covering to make it weather proof. Although such houses are a status symbol, they are by no means as comfortable as the traditional houses, because they become too hot. The smaller traditional houses are built of brick protected by mud. Traditionally the roof is thatched, with sugar cane leaves or rice stems, but if people can afford it they now prefer to have clay tiled roofs which last much longer than thatch. These are more expensive because they require a framework of wooden struts.

Most homes have very little furniture. People usually sleep on mats on the floor and on waking they roll up the mats and sweep out the room. Many houses have only one or two rooms.

The main road between Vellore and Gudiyattum runs through the centre of the village.

Many of the houses have flat roofs.

Some houses are much simpler.

The simplest home made of thatch with a mud floor gives very little protection from scorpions and snakes.

Some new houses are very grand!

A traditional brick and mud house with thatched roof, on the outskirts of the village.

Clay tiled roofs last longer than thatch.

K.V.Kuppam itself is more like a small town than a country village.

The local market has developed rapidly over the last few years.

Back to 'What's it like?'