THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MR. NAZEER KHAN’S …

154 | Journal of Islamic Architecture Volume 3 Issue 4 December 2015 • ISSN 2086-2636 • e-ISSN 2356-4644

THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MR. NAZEER KHAN’S ARCHITECTURE

Spahic Omer International Islamic University MalaysiaMalaysiae-mail: [email protected]

Received: May 25th 2015; Accepted: August 3rd 2015; Available Online: December 31st 2015DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18860/jia.v3i4.2840

Abstract

This paper discusses the social significance of Mr. Nazeer Khan’s architecture. The discussion revolves aroundthe relationship between Mr. Nazeer Khan’s architecture and Kerala Muslims’ economic transformation, as wellas Kerala state’s inter-faith harmony. The study is not about delivering judgments concerning Mr. Nazeer Khanand his architectural exploits from a sheer perspective of architecture as a synthesis of art, science andtechnology, for such could significantly narrow at once our purpose and focus, and could divert our attentionfrom some vital thrusts of the subject at hand. Rather, the study is about Mr. Nazeer Khan’s architecture andKerala’s religious and socio-economic molds, and how they correlate with each other, the latter clearlydictating and shaping the former. It is only against this expansive and complex back-drop that Mr. NazeerKhan’s architecture could be properly observed and appreciated. A restricted and one-sided approach –regardless of what it might be would in all likelihood lead to some incomplete, patchy and even unfair opinionsand inferences. The paper is divided into six sections: (1) Introduction: why this study? (2) Who is Mr. NazeerKhan? (3) Kerala Muslims’ economic transformation; (4) Mr. Nazeer Khan’s architecture and Kerala’s inter-faithharmony; (5) Mr. Nazeer Khan’s architecture: diversity in unity; (6) Conclusion. The content of this study isbased, mainly, on the author’s lengthy interviews with Mr. Nazeer Khan and many of his clients, as well as onthe author’s field visits to a majority of Mr. Nazeer Khan’s completed and on-going projects. The interviewsand field visits took place in 2013 and 2014.

Keywords: Nazeer Khan’s architecture, Social significance, Kerala’s interfaith harmony

Introduction

Such an architectural philosophy and style areto be viewed through the prism of the total way oflife in which they were envisaged and wherein theywere translated into a physical space. They were notto be viewed only through the lens of architecture aspure art, science and technology. Here, just aseverywhere else, the world of architecture is to beexpanded into the higher and more sophisticatedrealms of existence. Existence, on the other hand, isnot to be distorted or narrowed down, so as to gowell with the corporeal ingredients and dimensionsof architecture only. The orb of architecture, itfollows, is to become known as an ultimatespiritualized and “supernatural” orb, whereas thelife phenomenon is not to be mechanized orrendered merely physical, inconsequential andperfunctory just on account of some of us fallingshort of penetrating into its complex meanings andsecrets.

In other words, Mr. Nazeer Khan’s architecture,far from being perfect or exemplary, is about a totallife and a lifestyle which he ardently champions and

lives. Neither he nor his architecture can bedisconnected from the lives of Kerala people andtheir rising aspirations and dreams. If so, hisarchitecture would become easily misconstrued,appearing to many people rather confusing,incomprehensible and even hollow and purposeless.Hence, by lots of people, professionals and ordinaryfolks alike, Mr. Nazeer Khan and his architecture aremisunderstood. Arguably, more than anyone else inKerala, he divides architectural opinions.

Mr. Nazeer Khan lives his architecture which, inturn, lives and exemplifies the lives of its numerousclients and users. They run through each other’sveins. To Mr. Nazeer Khan, his architecture is aliving organism with which he identifies himself andhis own existence. So attached emotionally is he tohis architecture that, surely, it is not anexaggeration to say that the structural andfunctional states of his buildings deeply influence hiscomplete being and personality. By and large, theyaffect his psychological and emotional condition. Heis happiest when his buildings are “happy”; he issaddest when his buildings are “sad”. Having beenfor quite some time now aware of all these factors,

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it was easy for me to comprehend and come toterms with the merits of embarking on this type ofstudy.

Who is Mr. Nazeer Khan?

Mr. Nazeer Khan is an Indian architect. He livesand works in the city of Calicut in Kerala, a state inthe south-west region of India. He was born on May30, 1959. Initially, his ancestors lived in the city ofKodungallur, a municipality in the Thrissur district ofKerala. It was his grandfather who migrated with hisfamily from Kodungallur to Calicut.

Mr. Nazeer Khan and his family had humblebeginnings, enjoying more than their fair share ofhard times. His father was a modest timbermerchant. When he was born, Mr. Nazeer Khan wasperfectly healthy. However, when he reached theage of four years, his left hand became virtuallyparalyzed due to polio or infantile paralysis. Such aleft hand condition lasted six years. But after sixyears, at the age of ten, Mr. Nazeer Khan’s handbecame miraculously cured and he started to live anormal childhood life.

During the period of left hand paralysis, whichsignifies a critical formative stage in every person’supbringing, Mr. Nazeer Khan lived under constantstress and fears. Just like every child, he had his bigdreams and aspirations, but felt that he willeventually have to divest himself of most of themdue to his precarious condition. However, when theillness was cured, his big dreams and ambitionsreturned, more compellingly and in moreabundance. Mr. Nazeer Khan believes that hisabounding artistic talent, which is brought to lifeand communicated mainly through the conduits ofhis hands from the depositories of his mind as well asheart, is a precious gift from God. With it, God,perhaps, wanted to reward him for the six years ofhardship which he and his family patiently endured.

Having successfully completed his highersecondary education at the age of 19 years, Mr.Nazeer Khan proceeded to do a diploma in civilengineering. It took him two years to do so. It washere that he started displaying most effectively theabundance and depth of his architectural talent,polishing it and advancing it to higher levels. As aresult, he was nicknamed “Mr. Accurate” by hispeers owing to his not often witnessed precision,flair and ingenuity.

Following his completion of civil engineeringdiploma, Mr. Nazeer Khan, aged 21, joined theIndian civil service. For the next period of ten yearsas a civil servant, Mr. Nazeer Khan decided to

practice civil engineering on a part-time basis aswell. He did so for the first three years under thetutelage of Mr. Balakrishnan Nair, one of the leadingcivil engineers in Calicut. Next, for the remainingseven years, he worked with several other civilengineers in Calicut, also as a part-timer. It was thisphase that proved most crucial. It was then that Mr.Nazeer Khan -- as well as his superiors and clients --came fully to the terms of his extraordinary talentand abilities, prompting Mr. Nazeer Khan to thinkabout and plan for himself a much bigger and morechallenging future.

In addition, such was a time when cleardistinction between civil engineering andarchitecture, and between the term engineer andarchitect, was increasingly made in the Indiansociety. The two heretofore, generally, werereferring to the same occupation, and were oftenused interchangeably. Mr. Nazeer Khan worked onthe tasks which essentially were related to purearchitecture, such as producing 3D drawings,building plans, designs, etc. Encouraged by hisremarkable outputs and the positive feedbacks of hisemployers and clients, he, consequently, started tofeel that he was born for architecture and that theyexisted for each other. And having accomplished a10-year part-time job, as well as apprenticeship, incivil engineering and architecture under theguidance of some of the most prominent civilengineers and architects in Calicut, Mr. Nazeer Khancalled it a day with his civil service career.

Although without required formal architectureeducation, he was ready to devote his full life to theprofession. What is more, he was ready and willingto go solo as soon as possible. He was confident thathis amazing talent, burning enthusiasm, loftyaspirations and accumulated experiences will beable to offset his lack of formal education. It wascertainly risky, but Mr. Nazeer Khan was convincedthat he had what it takes to succeed sooner or laterin independent practice of architecture.

As a small digression, Mr. Nazeer Khan fondlyrecalls how during his part-time stints he alwayscarried a booklet on whose pages he tried to expressand deposit his blooming architectural ideas andconvictions. Most of his drawings were spur-of-the-moment, precipitate and unrefined. Nonetheless, hewas more than happy to share them and hisarchitectural thoughts that those drawings weresupposed to characterize with as many individuals aspossible from across the wide social spectrum ofKerala.

In so doing, he, admittedly, was a bit toozealous and relentless. Some people took himseriously, others paid no heed to the matter andevery now and then even poked fun at him, and yet


others regarded it as yet another display of Mr.Nazeer Khan’s augmented passion for the art andarchitecture disciplines. They even criticized himand his behavioral patterns somewhat for apparentlygoing overboard, stopping almost at nothing toexhibit and prove his forte, and to achieve his setgoals. In most cases, however, prolongedconversations and even debates normally ensued,involving individuals with different mindsets andfrom different socio-economic and religiousbackgrounds about what was available in the bookletand in Mr. Nazeer Khan’s mind as well as heart.

However, little did the people realize that Mr.Nazeer Khan as early as then when he was just ayoung architecture enthusiast and fantasist, was avery shrewd man. He, in point of fact, wasconducting a test of public opinion concerningarchitecture in general, and concerning his ownarchitectural notions and proclivities in particular.He was testing people’s perceptions as well aspreferences with regard to the realms of art andarchitecture. He was searching for a universal taste,so to speak, among his people, which he later whengiven a chance could attend to and try to satiate.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Nazeer Khan’stransition from part-time to solo practice ofarchitecture was a gradual one. He firstly fosteredan architectural partnership with Mr. MuhammadP.K., his classmate and close friend when he studiedfor his diploma in civil engineering. The partnershiplasted six years. They then parted on the best ofterms. They each planned to grow moreautonomously, freely charting their own respectivecareer paths. Mr. Muhammad P.K. went on tobecome a contractor, while Mr. Nazeer Khan finallyembarked on practicing architecture as a full-timeprofession and running it as a one-man enterprise.Mr. Muhammad P.K.’s first work as a contractor waspart of a project that belonged to Mr. Nazeer Khan.

After that, Mr. Nazeer Khan rapidly grew as anarchitect, establishing himself as one of the mostinfluential, talked-about and sought-after architectsin Kerala. At the moment, his office has 15supporting staff members. He also has ten sitesupervisors and four consultants: one for plumbing,one for electrical and two for structural engineering.The two structural engineering consultants areuniversity professors from the National Institute ofEngineering Technology (NIET) in Calicut.

He at any given time deals with at least 50contractors, organizations and individuals that arecontracted with him for the construction of hisbuildings. Some work only for him. Mr. Nazeer Khanestimates that there is a workforce of at least 2,500people -- be they his assistants, site supervisors,consultants, contractors, building materials and

furniture manufacturers and suppliers in India andabroad, etc. -- behind the construction of hiscurrent architectural projects with tens of millionsof US dollars in circulation and changing hands. In asfar as Indonesia, for example, there are twofurniture companies that operate principally for him.The impact of Mr. Nazeer Khan’s establishmentprimarily on Kerala’s economy, and on some otherslike in Indonesia and UAE, is very strong andpalpable.

So far, Mr. Nazeer Khan has designed more than1,000 houses, most of which are huge and palatial.He also designed 25 mosques, two Muslim shrines,two Hindu temples, 25 shopping centers, 10churches, 10 monasteries for Christian priests, 10schools, one house for elderly people, one school forbishops, five community halls, two orphanages, onespiritual guidance center for Hindus, three hospitals,eight hotels and six convents for nuns. Moreover, hedesigned the interiors of 10 exclusive restaurantsand about 100 gold, jewelry, furniture, textile,floral, etc., showrooms.

Figure 1. Hotel Metro Manor in Calicut, Kerala.

Figure 2. A proposed hotel complex in Thalassery, acommercial town on the Malabar Coast in the Kannur

district, Kerala.

This means that Mr. Nazeer Khan handles acouple of hundreds of projects at any given time.











district, Kerala.












district, Kerala.



Yet, he remembers even the smallest detailspertaining to each and every aspect of his projects.He can easily pinpoint any mistake committed byanybody in the process of construction, although heis not physically always present. It is trulyastonishing how he ensures that nobodyunderperforms or commits and runs away with anyconstructional deficiencies or deviations from hisoriginal ideas and designs.

Besides, Mr. Nazeer Khan is an astutebusinessman as well. Among other things, he ownsan estate of 300 acres of coffee and orangeplantations with more than 100 local workers. Itsworth is difficult to estimate, but it perhaps is in therange of a few millions of US dollars. Anyhow, Mr.Nazeer Khan rarely talks about it, among otherthings due to his persona which oozes humility andunassuming nature. The estate’s location is in theThirunelli area, in Wayanard district in the north-east of Kerala. Not far from it, Thirunelli Temple,one of the most ancient Hindu temples dedicated toLord Vishnu, is sited.

Figure 3. A Hindu temple in Calicut, Kerala.

Admittedly, the estate’s economic potential isfar from being fully exploited because to Mr. NazeerKhan, that pursuit always played second fiddle to hisarchitectural work and passion. The estate is aboutthree hour drive from the city of Calicut and Mr.Nazeer Khan’s house and place of work. He managesto visit it only once in three or four months. Theestate has a manager who manages it on Mr. NazeerKhan’s behalf. Thus, Mr. Nazeer Khan admits that hewill always have more of everything, except time.He says he will never have enough of it to do whathe wants, needs and what other people would likehim to do for them.

Figure 4. The house of Mr. Ahammed in Kallachi, Calicut,Kerala.

Figure 5. The opulent and tasteful interior of the houseof Mr. Ahammed in Kallachi, Calicut, Kerala.

Kerala Muslims’ Economic Transformation

From 1972 to 1983, there occurred aphenomenon which came to be known as the “GulfBoom”, in consequence of which the Kerala Gulfdiaspora was created. The Kerala Gulf diasporarefers to the people of Kerala living in the MiddleEastern Arab states of the Persian Gulf. In 2008, theynumbered more than 2.5 million. Since thecommencement of the Boom, the mass migration ofa large number of people from Kerala was set inmotion. “Largely consisting of the migration ofMalayalis, the dominant indigenous ethnic group inKerala, the movement of many migrant workers fromKerala to the Gulf Countries continues to the presentday, although in smaller numbers after the 2008international financial crisis began to affect the Gulfregion. This initial wave of migration is usuallyreferred to as the Kerala Gulf Boom. The Keralamigrants are usually laborers and low-skilledworkers.”[1]

In 2008, the Keralite population in the Gulf,which numbered more than 2.5 million, sent home asum of around 6.81 billion USD, which was more than15.13% of the total remittance to India in 2008. In2013, the remittance was almost ten billion USD[2].


Since a substantial population survives onremittances, Kerala’s economy is what the peopleused to term “Money Order Economy”. Earlier, theyused to send it by Money Orders. In the present day,the remittances are made by inter-bank or intra-bank electronic transfers [1][2].

The following examples, too, show to whatextant remittances constitute a key source ofincome for Kerala’s economy. “In 2003 for instance,remittances were 1.74 times the revenue receipts ofthe state, seven times the transfers to the statefrom the Central Government, 1.8 times the annualexpenditure of the Kerala Government, and 15 to 18times the size of foreign exchange earned from theexport of cashew and marine products.”[2] Althoughthe majority of Gulf migrants were from the workingand the lower-middle classes, many still managed toclimb the ladder of success and become very richand successful. Consequently, gulf migrantsgradually gained local fame and social status. A mythof a “Gulf man” was created and puffed up. Thenotion of “Gulf Dream” became a national craze. Itwas on everyone’s lips, almost everyone’s ultimateambition.

As to the basic demographic characteristics ofthe Kerala Gulf diaspora and its remittances,according to Malika B. Mistry, “Muslims constituted44.3% of the emigrants from Kerala in 2011, whileHindus formed 36.4%. Muslims have been leading allthrough the recent years. While there were 60emigrants per 100 households among Muslims and 30among the Christians, the Hindus have only 19emigrants per 100 households[2].” As aconsequence, “on an average, a Muslim householdreceived Rs. 135,111 (2, 257 USD) as remittances ina 12-month period. A Christian household, on theother hand, received not even half of what a Muslimhousehold received (Rs. 59,175 or 988 USD). In caseof the Hindus, the average remittance a householdreceived is only about one-fourth of what a Muslimhousehold received (Rs. 38,489 or 642 USD)[2].”

Malika B. Mistry continues with reference to theimpact of the Gulf Boom on the life-style of Keralaemigrant Muslims, singling out the subject of housingin the state. “Households with an emigrant or returnemigrant tend to possess better quality houses thanthose without an emigrant. The proportion ofhouseholds possessing ‘luxurious’ or ‘very good’houses shows a steady increase with the number ofnon-resident Keralites (NRKs) in the household, andis 24.2% for households without an NRK and 41.3% forhouseholds with one NRK, 50.3% for households withtwo NRKs and 65.2% for households with more thantwo NRKs [3].”

As was expected, with the influx of wealth intothe Kerala state, and with an increase in the number

of wealthy households, demand for unique housingstyles which will mirror and testify about thepeople’s successes and their newly acquired status,dramatically increased. This was predictable onaccount of houses being so essential to humannature and existence that they define our identitiesand life stories. They are the symbols of our being,our aspirations and our life triumphs. They are thusmicrocosms of human cultures and civilizations. Theyare likewise equivalent to institutions,establishments, signs, credentials and testimonies.

Accordingly, many Kerala architects stepped upthe supply of what was ever more demanded, in turnsetting off a stiff competition. One of them was Mr.Nazeer Khan. However, for rising to the top, therewas only one rout that amalgamated each ofprofessional excellence, total dedication and clients’satisfaction. Mr. Nazeer Khan was able to accomplishall of them. He surely had what it takes to rapidlyemerge as a foremost Kerala architect sought afteras much for designing private houses as forinstitutional buildings, and as much by the KeralaGulf diaspora as by those who lived and madefortune inside Kerala and beyond in India.

Figure 6. The house of Mr. Salam Irshad Shareef inMalappuram, Kerala.

Figure 7. The house of Dr. Abdul Rahman in Kottakkal,Malappuram, Kerala.

It is true that the relative majority of Mr.Nazeer Khan’s clients comprises the members of theGulf diaspora, however, a great many clients are still


locals. The latter comes from different strata of theKerala community. They are numerous businessmenfrom diverse business fields, educationists, medicaldoctors, engineers, politicians (one is a member ofKerala Legislative Assembly), religious leaders,university professors, lawyers, police officers andmilitary personnel. Many others plan or just pine forengaging Mr. Nazeer Khan as the architect of theirfuture houses.

Figure 8. The house of Mr. Mujeeb in Pulikkal,Malappuram, Kerala.

When spoken to, all the clients are unanimousin one thing: they wanted to build dream houseswhich were meant to denote a pinnacle of theirsuccessful life struggles and professional careers.They wanted houses which will at once typify theirachievements and dreams, and promote as well asfacilitate living them to the fullest and till the veryend. They wanted something special, ingenious andserviceable. In Mr. Nazeer Khan, an inspiringcharacter for his peers as well as the futuregenerations, they found a person whom they couldtrust and whom they could entrust with buildingtheir houses and so, their dreams. Hence, Mr. NazeerKhan is often described as a “Builder of dreams”.

Indeed, the judgments concerning manyaspects of Mr. Nazeer Khan’s architecture aresubjective, often charged with certain emotions, butwhat undoubtedly singles him out and makes himstand head and shoulders above the rest is the utterand unreserved satisfaction of all clients of his. Theyare happy with Mr. Nazeer Khan as a person andprofessional, and with what he conceives anddelivers to the people. As a result, his professionalrelationships with his clients practically always turninto close and everlasting friendships. This is inaccordance with the principle that just asarchitecture is integral to life, architects likewiseare integral to society. There is no detachment orrift between them. They derive their respectivestrengths from each other’s domains andjurisdictions. They are inter-reliant. Undeniably,

architecture is both life and society, symbolizing,framing and facilitating them.

Accordingly, all Mr. Nazeer Khan’s clientsbelieve that their houses are good value-for-moneyand that all their expectations have been duly met,something that arguably is most important in therealm of architecture. Indeed, an architecture thatresults from a process, relationship and anenvironment where every actively involved party iscontent and pleased, deserves praise,notwithstanding what some people may say on thebasis of certain criteria and standards about whichthe clients, the most important stakeholders inarchitecture, neither care nor deem consequential.

It is noteworthy, furthermore, that as far as Mr.Nazeer Khan is concerned, this unqualifiedsatisfaction and trust of his clients, as a result oflong and professionally executed architecturalprocesses, intimate relationships and favorableatmospheres, applies not only to private houses, butalso to institutional buildings where money is alwaysan issue and where fulfilling some specific communalcultural or religious specifications can also be verychallenging. Which is why Mr. Nazeer Khan could bedubbed an architect for all seasons and for allbudgets, able to deliver whatever is asked from himboth at individual and institutional levels.

Lastly, since many of Mr. Nazeer Khan’s clientshad humble beginnings depending on nothing buttheir own sweat and toil while trying to succeed andleave a mark in the increasingly competitive businessworld, their beautiful and imposing houses radiateinspiring messages to those who want to follow intheir footsteps that everything reasonable is possibleif approached with persistence, hard work, patienceand right attitude, and that every dream isattainable if dreamed, planned and managed aright.It is not only his clients and their life legacies, butalso Mr. Nazeer Khan himself and his own legacy,that can attest to this very truth. Hence, Mr. NazeerKhan’s architecture is a testimony and proof. Itconducts a silent campaign, so to speak, for a lifevision and purpose. It invites the people as much toenjoy its artistic and architectural splendors as toappreciate the life philosophy and values thatunderpin it. It invites the people to spirituallyconnect to it and its multi-tiered world. It invitesthem to unleash their potentials and try to see andenjoy the world in its truest colors.

Mr. Nazeer Khan’s Architecture and Kerala’sInter-faith Harmony

Islam entered India almost in the life-time ofthe Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Generally, it isthought that it came into India by way of invasion by


Muhammad b. Qasim, a young general sent by Yusufb. Hajjaj, the governor of Iraq during the Umayyadperiod in the later part of the 7th century CE. Butthis is not true. Islam entered India initially throughKerala on the west coast through the Arab traders ina peaceful manner[4].“The region called Malabar inKerala is an Indianised form of ma`bar which inArabic means passage. Since the Arab traders passedthrough that region often it came to be known bythat name. The Arabs, in fact, had been tradingsince pre-Islamic days and then embraced Islam afterthe Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) began preaching.They married the local women in Kerala and theiroffspring spread in different parts of that region.Also, later they were accompanied by Sufi sheikhswho converted many local people, mainly from lowerclasses, to Islam. Thus, this was the real entry pointof Islam into India[4].”

Kerala is a multi-religious state, somewhatmore than many other Indian states. According to2001 Census of India figures, Hindus form the largestreligious community constituting 56.2%, followed byMuslims 24.7%, Christians 19%, and the remaining0.1% follows other religions[5]. In comparison withmost of India, Kerala experiences relatively littlesectarianism. It in fact serves as a symbol of inter-faith harmony often given as an example for othersto emulate. Siddiq Hassan ‘Abdullah, the amir of theKerala unit of the Jama’at-i-Islami and a well-knownArabic scholar, explains some of the main causes forsuch a situation: “The Muslims in north India and theMuslims here in Kerala have had a vastly differenthistorical experience. India’s first contact with Islamtook place in Kerala. Even prior to Islam, Kerala hadclose trade links with the Arab world. Arab shipswould regularly visit Kerala ports and some Arabseven settled here. After the rise of Islam, these linksbecame stronger. Large numbers of Arab merchantssettled here, and they were warmly welcomed bythe local Hindu kings, because they played a vitalrole in the local economy. Islam thus came to Keralathrough traders, and not through conquerors, unlikein much of the rest of India. This is why relationsbetween Muslims and Hindus in Kerala have alwaysbeen generally cordial, unlike in much of the north.Because of the close relations between Hindus andMuslims here, Kerala evolved a shared culture, andso Muslims are not seen as strangers. Rather, theyare recognized as fellow Malayalis and are wellintegrated into the local society. Muslims, Christiansand Hindus in Kerala share a broadly common cultureand speak the same language. You don’t have‘Hindu’ restaurants and ‘Muslim’ restaurants here,as you do in some parts of north India. Because ofthe long history of communal amity in Kerala, it hasbeen much easier for Muslims to organize and work

for the advancement of the community here. Thesituation in the north has been very different. In thenorth, the trauma of the Partition still lingers on,which has had a terrible impact on inter-communalrelations and has generated tremendous insecurityamong the Muslims there. Here in Kerala we werespared the horrors of the Partition, because of whichwe have been able to focus our energies onconstructive community development work, unlike inmuch of the north. In the north, large numbers ofeducated and prosperous Muslims migrated toPakistan, leaving the poor behind. Almost nomigration occurred in Kerala in the wake of thePartition[6].”

According to Hussain Randathani, “theegalitarian ideals of Islam, the existence of Arabcolonies, the social and economic systems in theregion and the positive attitude of the native rulerswere the main factors which made Malabar a fertileregion for Islam[7].” However, “except the reign ofthe Arakkal Ali Rajas of the north and a shortinterlude of the Mysorean over lordship, practicallythere was no Muslim rule in Malabar[7].” This,however, does not mean that the Muslims did not gettotal official freedom to practice and propagatetheir religion. They rather were accorded all theneeded help and facilities to do so. In addition,they, their religion and culture were held in highregard by the region’s Hindu sovereigns. Thereligious, economic and social personal andinstitutional lives of the Muslims thus alwaysflourished, something that could not escape theattention of impartial and fair-minded travelers,historians and writers throughout the region’s richhistory[7].

In order to reciprocate this honest andamicable treatment, the Muslims of Kerala(historical Malabar is part of it) made the spread ofIslam in the land a peaceful one, in conformity withthe universal and peaceful message of Islam andwithout any imperialistic designs. The missionariesof Islam, be they merchants, mystics, scholars orjust ordinary people, adopted a policy of sulh i kul(peace for all). They respected the ancient customsand obeyed the rulers. They were agents ofharmony, unity and prosperity, and were the peopleof peace.

Moreover, upon converting to Islam, many neo-converts, a bulk of which belonged to Hindu lowcastes, were reasonably tolerated to retain somefolk traditions of theirs, giving them a place in theIslamic core of the Kerala society[7]. As a result,there was little in the end to distinguish betweenthe two communities in the fashion, culinary andwedding traditions, and in many other social lifecustoms and preferences. Several Muslim festivals


significantly resembled certain Hindu festivals. Someprominent Muslim saints became saints for manyHindus as well, on account of them having set thestandards and examples of inter-faith peacefulcoexistence, and having led by example. Theirshrines or dargahs were the target of seasonal visitsby both Muslims and Hindus, radiating endlessbarakah or blessings for all [7].

The Hindu-Muslim cultural confluence in Keralais also evident in the fields of art and architecture.Hussain Randathani writes that Kerala traditionalmosque architecture resembles Hindu templearchitecture in all respects except the interior. Thiswas so because in the beginning friendly Hindu kingsallowed some temples to be converted into mosques,which was done with the least modifications to suitmodest Muslim requirements. But if new mosqueswere built, the fact remains that they, in the main,were done by Hindu carpenters and masons whocould not but follow Hindu temple style. Thepractice of providing grants by Hindu rulers forerecting mosques was common; as was the practiceof erecting temples and mosques side by side[8].

Understandably, every Muslim and Hindu inKerala is proud of this predominant cultural ethos inthe state, trying to contribute their shares forsustaining it. Mr. Nazeer Khan is no exception andhis architecture attests to it.

To begin with, Mr. Nazeer Khan reveals hisbelief in the myth according to which a native king,called Cheraman Perumal, traveled to Makkah andembraced Islam at the feet of the ProphetMuhammad (pbuh)[9]. After remaining in Arabia for afew years, the ruler intended to return home, but onthe way died in Yemen. On his trip, a smalldelegation of local Malabar noblemen accompaniedthe king and also like their king, accepted Islam. Mr.Nazeer Khan proudly divulges that he accepts as truethat a member of the king’s delegation was one ofhis ancestors on his mother’s side. Apart from thefact that these highly disputable claims serve to himas a source of inner pride, happiness and motivation,Mr. Nazeer Khan also interprets them to the effectthat he thus was given an extra obligation to play arole in promoting and preserving the unique soul andcharacter of the Kerala society as they werefashioned and upheld by the Kerala predecessorsthrough ages.

As a further evidence for his penchant forpropagating and practicing inter-faith tolerance andharmony, five of Mr. Nazeer Khan’s office workersare Hindus, one is Christian, and nine are Muslims.Of his four consultants, furthermore, three areHindus and one is Christian. Of his ten sitesupervisors, six are Muslims and four Hindus. Nordoes he shy away from designing, apart from

mosques and Muslim shrines, Hindu temples,churches and other Hindu and Christian institutionalreligious buildings. His clients for private houses,too, come from diverse religious backgrounds, eventhough the Muslims comprise the majority. Whenselecting contractors for building his projects, all Mr.Nazeer Khan’s criteria revolve around excellence,professionalism and honesty. They are as good asreligion-blind.

Figure 8. A proposed mosque in Mattanurl Kannur,Kerala.

Figure 9. CSI Immanuel church in Talap, Kannur, Kerala.

Figure 10. A proposed church in Pulpally, Kerala.

It was due to this inter-faith understanding andharmony predilection that Mr. Nazeer Khan is highlyrespected and wanted by his potential clients,Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and for both
























individual and institutional buildings. When talkedto, it is thus not startling that all his non-Muslimclients all at once and completely approved of himand what and how he does. It was them who neededan architect, and they went for Mr. Nazeer Khanowing to his wide-spread reputation and legacy.They knew that he, as his record shows, always livesup to the mark and capably fulfils given tasks. Mr.Nazeer Khan never tries to impose himself on aclient. Rather, he lets his buildings, as well as pastand current clients, do the talking. They are hisambassadors and promoters. And he knows that suchis the most effective promotion and marketingstrategy. It, at the same time, is the cheapest andmost abiding.

What brings closer and then bonds Mr. NazeerKhan with his non-Muslim clients is a set ofuniversally acceptable personal and professionalvalues which are cherished by everyone irrespectiveof their religious beliefs and affiliations. Mr. NazeerKhan champions those values more than anythingelse. Next, he makes his buildings personify andreflect those and other art and architecture relatedvalues and meanings, which is the language mostpeople easily comprehend. It is about identifying anddelving into what brings people together, not whatseparates them. It is about accentuating similarities,which are many, and dispensing with divisivedifferences, which, conversely, are few and ofteninflated and feigned. It is about celebrating universalaffection for aesthetics, elation, passion, well-being,gratification, belongingness, equilibrium and goodjudgment. It is, finally, about helping a client -- orclients -- celebrate life in the most fundamental andintrinsic way.

Mr. Nazeer Khan’s architecture, it goes withoutsaying, is comprehensive and global, rather thanspecific and local. Its functions range from microindividual and family concerns to macro issues andfads in relation to the ubiquitous life phenomenon.One of his residential buildings near Kottakal inKerala partially resembles each of a church, mosqueand a temple at the same time[10]. The building, inmany ways, typifies Mr. Nazeer Khan and his inter-religious outlook translated artistically andarchitecturally into the physical world. Sincearchitecture to Mr. Nazeer Khan signifies more thanjust a profession, he does not charge for designingmosques, temples and churches. For other religiousinstitutional buildings, he charges only nominal fees.For private houses alone, he charges full fees.

Because of this platform, Mr. Nazeer Khaneffortlessly settles those issues which are purely andinstructively religious and which are to be integratedinto buildings’ designs and plans. Normally, he goesabout doing that in two ways. First, he talks to

clients as well as religious experts so as to beenlightened and guided in his work. Or he simplylearns and discovers himself and then draws on hisown knowledge and experiences while incorporatingrequired religious specifications into his designs,while in the end seeking final endorsements from theclients, or their religious leaders, for his proposeddesign solutions. When designing Hindu and Christianhouses and religious buildings, Mr. Nazeer Khanusually provides the clients with general buildingdesigns and plans. He provides detailed buildingframeworks. Most of interior design and decorativesystems, however, due to their intricacies,precisions and numerous religious implications, hedelegates to others who are more profoundlyidentifiable with them, to perform. That involves,for example, provision of crosses, statues, religiousimages and inscriptions, etc.

An example here is the house that belongs toMr. Rajesh Jose, a Christian. The owner wanted hishouse to have an altar. He wanted the best locationfor it to enable it to function as a sacred way to callspiritual energies into home, and to reinforce theintentions of the house dwellers to invite morepeace, serenity, and love into their spaces.Eventually, the ground floor of his house wasplanned in such a way that it had a sort of a centralnave extending from the main entrance to thevirtual end of the house where, raised above thelevel of the floor, an altar was positioned – anarrangement reminiscent of that found in Romanbasilicas. The altar’s location was ideal, greatlyimpressing the owner. When asked who guided Mr.Nazeer Khan concerning the matter, Mr. Rajesh Josejust replied: “Nobody; he knows all that.”

Figure 11. The house of Mr. Jenson Mathew in Calicut,Kerala.

Mr. Nazeer Khan proudly recalls that once thecommittee of a school for bishops, which theywanted to build, discussed with him their needs andthe institution’s overall specifications. So inspiredand at ease was he then that he produced all initial


sketches instantly, during the very conversation. Heis thus fond of saying about that occurrence that ittook him only “ten minutes” to do the job. Acommittee member then remarked: “You are aspecial divine gift. That’s why we wanted you forthis assignment.” The school included a chapel andother educational and Christian religious facilities,as earlier specified by the committee.

Figure 12. The house of Mr. Mansoor in Calicut, Kerala.

Moreover, when designing and planning a Hinduhouse – like what he did for his Hindu friend V.Rajeendranath -- Mr. Nazeer Khan is fully aware ofthe importance of incorporating a shrine into its planand design, although such is entirely up to theclients whether they want it or not. He normallydiscusses the matter with his clients, and if needed,with a relevant religious person, but always seemsvery self-assured and up to date concerning it.Parenthetically, the heart of a religious Hindu houseis its shrine: “the sacred space set apart for honoringand worshiping the gods. While a particularly devoutHindu may visit a temple every day, others go thereonly to request a favor of the deity, to fulfill specificvows, or on festival days. The pujas (prayer ritualsas a means of honoring the gods or goddesses, whosepresence in the home is believed to protect thefamily and to engender good fortune) that takeplace in the household shrine are the foundation ofall family actions and decisions. Temple worshiprequires the intervention of a priest, but in thehome the contact between devotee and deity isdirect. The size and decoration of a household shrinedo not matter. The shrine may be large andimpressive, an entire room or a beautifully designededifice, or it may be simply a tiny niche, or even justa row of religious prints pasted on a wall[11].”

Additionally, some Hindu clients might be keento incorporate elements of vastu shastra or scienceof construction into their house designs as well.

Vastu shastra denotes both an ancient and sacredHindu body of knowledge revealing the connectionbetween humans, the laws of nature and thedwellings humans inhabit. While not claiming to bean expert in it, Mr. Nazeer Khan still acknowledgesthat he has a fair amount of knowledge about it, andif necessary, will be ready to explore it even furtherwith his potential clients. So far, however, he had noHindu client who insisted on the strict observance ofvastu shastra precepts and a building’s design basedon directional alignments.

Figure 13. The house of Mr. Bashir Padiyath inVettichira, Malappuram, Kerala.

Figure 14. The house of Mr. Valsan in Tirur, Malappuram,Kerala.

Figure 15. The sumptuous interior of the house of Mr.Valsan in Tirur, Malappuram, Kerala




















When designing Muslim houses, Mr. NazeerKhan, being a Muslim himself, instinctively observesespecially three things. First, a place for dailyprayers and other Islamic rituals (musalla) is to bedesignated, whose size and design are subject to thesize of a house and the availability of spaces in it.Second, decoration must not contain statues andhuman being images. The focus is on Islamic spiritualcalligraphy, abstract geometric patterns, floralelements and natural landscapes. Third, the privacyconcerns of a house’s household must beacknowledged and its protection duly facilitated. Asa result, for example, a guest or visitor room with allits facilities is always placed near the main entranceso as not to affect and disturb the normal life flowinside a house.

Figure 16. The house of Mr. Musthafa in Wayanad,Kerala.

Figure 17. The house of Mr. Zahir Hassan in Mahi,Calicut, Kerala.

Sometimes a guest room is planned andexecuted in such a way that it seems as though itforms an annex or an auxiliary building situated neara main one. It may or may not have a direct accessto the main body of a house from inside. If it does,the access is gradual and never abrupt, and alwaysleads to the most “public” areas of a house. If itdoes not, that means that the room is accorded itsown entrance from outside and the guests andvisitors must use the main entrance only if they wantto enter the house proper. Therefore, Mr. NazeerKhan’s Muslim houses have at least a double inner

circulation and the organization of inner spaces andtheir functioning are multi-leveled and somewhathierarchical.

When he is commissioned to design Musliminstitutional buildings, Mr. Nazeer Khan applies histypical community-oriented approach and wants toattain his typical community-oriented results. Hewants those buildings to function as centers of, andfor, societal peaceful and harmonious life, amongthe Muslims and between the Muslims and others,and he does his best to ensure that his design ideasand solutions make a contribution to achieving thatnoble goal.

An interesting example at this juncture isdesigning and planning a shrine or a dargah forJalaluddin al-Sayyid Muhammad Fadl P.P. PokoyaThangal, a Sufi sheikh from the Qadiriyyah tariqahor fraternity. When the Sheikh passed away in 1992,a difference of opinion, especially among hisfollowers, shortly arose as to whether to build ashrine over his grave or not. The opponents of theidea contended that it is not an Islamic custom toerect structures over graves as the ProphetMuhammad (pbuh) never did so and seems to haveexplicitly forbidden it.

However, the proponents argued that what theProphet (pbuh) did and say is conditional, and tobuild shrines over extraordinary religiouspersonalities, such as the Sheikh in question, purelyin order to advance the cause of Islam and thespread of its message, is a totally different thing. Itis even a praiseworthy undertaking. Eventually, theview to build a shrine prevailed and the next taskwas to find an architect. The search, however, didnot last long. The succeeding leader of theQadiriyyah tariqah, Sheikh al-Sayyid MohammedKhaleel Thangal, chose Mr. Nazeer Khan who at thattime was a relatively young and unproven, butpassionate and promising, architect. The Sheikh saysthat he selected Mr. Nazeer Khan due to some innerand spiritual impetuses which amounted tosomething that could be dubbed a “supernaturalinspiration”. He had full faith in his judgment andknew that Mr. Nazeer Khan will be able to deliverthat which he was entrusted with.

Upon the said request, and having been fullyacquainted with the controversies that surroundedthe decision to build a shrine, Mr. Nazeer Khan knewthat he was up to a serious challenge. He was nothappy that the purely religious project was shroudedin a dispute, as he believed that such projects shouldunite and not divide the people. He thus decided tomake use of the proposed edifice and the way it willbe designed and utilized to bring the controversy toan end. He wanted the building to bring the Muslims


together, to be an agent of peace and harmony,rather than disagreement and disunity.

When the design was ready, subsequent tolengthy discussions with the leaders of the tariqah,it was presented to Sheikh al-Sayyid MohammedKhaleel Thangal. The latter’s comments simplywere: “This is it. This is what I fundamentallywanted from the beginning, but was unable to put itinto words. You (Mr. Nazeer Khan) did the job as ifyou have read my mind and soul.”

Basically, what was special about the designand plan of the shrine was the way the grave of thedeceased Sheikh was taken care of. In order toappease the advocates of building the shrine, Mr.Nazeer Khan created for them a wonderful andspacious structure at the centre of which stood achamber. The chamber is one of a few meant forconducting various religious ceremonies and withvarious capacities in the shrine. In the middle of thecentral chamber sits a somewhat commandingcenotaph which, actually, is empty. And this exactlyis what was meant to appease the opponents to theidea of building the shrine. The cenotaph onlyindicates the location of the grave which is wellbelow in another separate and roomy chamber towhich one goes via a special and secretive route.

The grave is rather simple, just like most otherMuslim graves, and when visiting it, one feels that hevisits directly the grave with no barriers orobstructions standing between him and the latter,just like in a graveyard. One furthermore gets afeeling and can witness with his own eyes that therewas no serious tampering with the grave. Rather, thesame was only well and ingeniously handled andshielded, retaining its original site and purpose.

Hence, the shrine is impalpably two-tiered, alower tier with the grave and nothing else, and anupper tier with the cenotaph and all the facilitiesexpected in a funerary complex. The shrine hasmultiple circulation systems as much indicating asfacilitating its two-fold purpose. Effectively,everyone visiting the place finds what he needs.Everyone is busy with his own activities andemotions, with little or no time to worry aboutothers and what they do and feel. This way, thebuilding significantly toned down the controversythat preceded its conception and construction.

This penchant of Mr. Nazeer Khan for fosteringinter-faith understanding and unity througharchitecture is being increasingly noticed andappreciated. For instance, a half-day session of aninternational seminar on inter-faith harmony andtolerance held in Kuala Lumpur from 3rd to 8th

February 2014 was dedicated to Mr. Nazeer Khan’sefforts and achievements. The seminar was co-organized by the International Islamic University

Malaysia, Ma’din Academy, Kerala, Department ofNational Unity (Prime Minister’s Department,Malaysia), and OIC Today Magazine. Parallel to theseminar, Mr. Nazeer Khan also held a solo exhibitionon housing in Kerala. The exhibition was organizedby and held at the Kulliyyah (Faculty) ofArchitecture and Environmental Design, theInternational Islamic University Malaysia. It wasvisited by hundreds.

Mr. Nazeer Khan’s Architecture: Diversity inUnity

Mr. Nazeer Khan is an architect, interiordesigner and landscape architect. His approach toarchitecture is all-in-one. There is no clearly dividingline between the three. When one talks to him, orstudies his buildings, one cannot distinguish whereone vocation ends and where the other one starts. Ifthroughout ancient and medieval history mostarchitectural designs and constructions were carriedout by artisans, such as stonemasons and carpenters,rising to the role of master builder, then in acontemporary sense, Mr. Nazeer Khan could bedescribed as a master architect whose ideas, whichin the minutest details cover entire architecturalprocesses from sheer concepts to the full use ofbuildings, are executed by tens of trustedcontractors.

Mr. Nazeer Khan is a perfectionist. He isobsessed with what he does, and his obsession coverseach and every aspect and phase of his projects. Hemeticulously supervises everyone: his assistants,contractors and supervisors, hopping from one site toanother and from one town to another. His phonenever stops ringing and he seems never to get tired.In view of that, smallest deviations from what hasbeen previously conceived, planned and sketchedare not tolerated. No tasks are allowed to beexecuted unprofessionally and imperfectly byanybody and at any stage. He is displeased withanything that does not meet extremely highstandards that he had set. It is not thus rare that aworker or a contractor is recalled to re-do a jobafter he had “completed” it and had departed froma site.

Mr. Nazeer Khan gets upset even with someclients who fail to grasp the essence and logicbehind his design ideas. He spends long hourspatiently talking and trying to convince them, for itis not always easy to get people’s sundryperspectives and outlooks aligned together. To him,mediocrity is a serious perfidy that as much hurtshim as blights and scars a building of his. It isunclear which one of them, in reality, “suffers”


more. To him, moreover, the worst architecturalmediocrity is about inability to transport animpeccably conceived building spectacle from aworld of ideas to a world of tangible realities. It isabout rendering a supposed perfect buildingimpaired and somewhat dysfunctional. It is a sheerfailure, a betrayal. Thus, everyone involved with Mr.Nazeer Khan is kept on his toes, performing to thebest of his ability and always looking over hisshoulder.

To Mr. Nazeer Khan, architecture issynonymous with flawlessness, precision andproportion. It follows the rules and principles of theperfect universe designed and created by thePerfect Creator. It is a recognition, extension andaugmentation of the faultless equilibrium that runsthrough the veins of total existence. By no means isit imitating, much less challenging or surpassing, thelatter. Indeed, there can be no imitation orchallenge between two completely differentdomains with different existential qualities andspheres of influence.

God is the greatest and best Creator.Everything else comes second. Everything else,furthermore, ought to humble itself and subdue itsexistence to the paradigms of God’s revealed Word,mercy and grace. Architecture, it follows, is an actof at once humbleness, appreciation and veneration.Hence, to Mr. Nazeer Khan, practicing architecturedenotes an opportunity to acknowledge and bringcloser to the human grasp some of the greatestsecrets of the universe.

Architecture, thus, in many ways is amicrocosm of the quintessence of the universewhereby architects, builders, artists, as well as theusers of buildings, enjoy the prospects ofengendering genuinely intimate relationships withthe truth and its copious expressions and ways. Itgoes without saying that the thrust of the job oftalented architects and artists is to feel indebted toGod for the gifts and, as a way of appreciation, toremain humble, accountable and committed toenabling the ordinary people to experience andvalue those ontological truths as embodied by theart and architecture realms. Being an architect,therefore, is at once a privilege and responsibility,definitely the latter outweighing the former.Architects are servants rather than masters.

True architects are the servants of the dignifiedpurpose of their profession, as well as of the needsand anticipations of people. At the same time, theyare visionaries on account of their exceptionalabilities and flair, inspiring and guiding those aroundthem and making their lives more exciting, delightfuland consequential. Architecture, therefore, is notjust a profession. It is a life to be lived delightfully

and responsibly. Due to this actuality, Mr. NazeerKhan admits to live under much stress wonderingwhether he is on the right track to meeting theterms of the mission he feels has been created for,or not. He divulges that at times he even cries as aresult of the convergence of all those concernswhich causes in him a mixture of feelings thatfluctuates between despondency, humility andvulnerability, to comparative self-esteem andexhilaration.

Mr. Nazeer Khan’s architectural style could bedescribed as one exemplifying the canon of diversityin unity. It presumes that all buildings of his fullyrespect and adhere to those basic values andprinciples that are considered part of the basicshared framework of his architectural approach. Atthe same time, every building freely maintains itsown distinct sub-ethos, refinement and taste whichdo not conflict with the shared core. Respect for thewhole and respect for all is at the essence of this Mr.Nazeer Khan’s approach. All his buildings aredifferent, yet in essence virtually same, carrying thesame spirit. The most recognizable principles andrules which constitute the core or the sharedframework of his architectural style are proportion,symmetry, firmness, orderliness, crude aesthetics,veneer, ostentatious mass and scale. All Mr. NazeerKhan’s buildings are perfectly symmetrical andproportioned, strong, heavy, flashy and grandiose.As they increasingly dot the landscapes of the Keralastate, they are all the time more easily recognizedas his signature architecture.

In order to translate his architecturalphilosophy into reality, Mr. Nazeer Khan employs ahybrid architectural language. He freely useselements from Classical, Neo-Classical, Mughal,Colonial and, to a lesser extent, vernacular Keralaarchitecture. The most prominent component in allhis buildings, however, is the pillar which he usesexcessively as a structural, functional and decorativeelement. Mr. Nazeer Khan is in love with pillars. Henever tires of explaining how they give his buildingsan extra dimension insofar as accentuating theirstrength, longevity, splendor and flamboyance isconcerned, be it on their exteriors or the interiors.The sheer quantity and sizes of his pillars render hisbuildings heavier, bulkier and more sophisticatedthan what actually they are. And to Mr. NazeerKhan, that’s exactly where the authentic beauty ofhis buildings lies. He wants his buildings to bear aresemblance to a big, strong, well-built, beautifuland resourceful human being. One gets animpression that in certain, especially residential,buildings he stops using pillars only when he runs outof spaces and opportunities to overuse them. As a


result, Mr. Nazeer Khan, in his private circles, isfondly known as “Mr. Pillar Khan”.

Most of Mr. Nazeer Khan’s buildings incorporateingredients from all the mentioned architecturalschools and styles, some buildings more and othersless. There is no building that faithfully follows asingle style or school. This could be interpreted,first, as reflecting the growing globalized characterof India and its people, in general, and Kerala and itsown people, in particular. That India and its peopleaim for a dominant economic role on the worldscene is obvious in each and every aspect of Indianculture and civilization, with architecture leadingthe way. The people want their architecture toreflect and spur their globalized economicaspirations and agendas. They want it to symbolizetheir modified and affluent lifestyles which in termsof the latter’s impact and influence are anything butconventional, unimaginative or one-dimensional. Tosome, Kerala serves only as a base for theirglobalized economic functioning.

Figure 18. A proposed school and academy in Edappal,Malappuram, Kerala.

Second, Mr. Nazeer Khan cleverly resorts to thementioned architectural schools and styles becausemost of them are regarded as truly international andever-lasting styles. They never seem, and never willbe, archaic and behind the times. For that reason doMr. Nazeer Khan’s buildings appear intrinsicallyamazing and likable, easily evoking positivesentiments and thoughts both in users andbeholders. They are buildings with a universalappeal, for all seasons and tastes. At times, they canbe truly captivating.

Due to the principles of diversity in unityand simplicity in complexity which his architecturepersonifies, plus his unique philosophy ofarchitecture, Mr. Nazeer Khan and his architecturaltendencies easily delude people into developing anumber of misconceptions about them. One of those

misconceptions is that Mr. Nazeer Khan caters onlyto rich clients, which is untrue -- although most ofhis clients are rich indeed – as explicated earlier. Mr.Nazeer Khan’s clients are more diverse than whatmost people think.

Second, some people allege that Mr. NazeerKhan’s rich clients tend to completely isolatethemselves from the rest of the less affluent people,having nothing or very little to do with them whileenjoying all the luxuries of the world in theirsplendid dwellings, and the way Mr. Nazeer Khandesigns those dwellings only promotes and facilitatessuch a life-style. This, too, is an overstatement.

Most of Mr. Nazeer Khan’s clients, though rich,are hard-working, simple and very honest people.Their money, chiefly, is the result of their hardwork, countless sacrifices and fair business dealings.Hence, if they are willing to invest a substantialchunk of their legitimate earnings into their houses,aiding thereby comfortable, sumptuous andexclusive life-styles for themselves, that is their ownprivate matter. Nobody should really blame them forthat, especially if they regularly and munificentlysettle all the financial dues that religion (Islam)imposes upon them in their capacity as wealthyindividuals (this applies in particular to Mr. NazeerKhan’s Muslim clients). The subject rests entirelybetween them and God, All-Provider (Razzaq), whotests them with their riches and statuses in thisworld.

The questions of extravagance and vanity, twoextremely abominable vices, could at times bemisconstrued and placed in wrong contexts. Indeed,many clients are known in their respective towns andregions as helpful and generous people. Concerningmany not only financial issues, people go to themfirst to seek help. Besides, some clients areenthusiastic about erecting and maintaining somepublic facilities, such as mosques. For example, Mr.K.V. Muhammad, for whom and whose family Mr.Nazeer Khan designed five houses, built a communitymosque in the village of Edappal near his house.

Mr. Bashir Padiyath likewise built a mosque aswell as a motel for the public, the latter being ableto accommodate about 30 persons. There are twosections in the motel, one for men and the other forwomen. Both institutions, located near Mr. BashirPadiyath’s house and near a highway where they aremost needed, are meant for the local population andwill have several local employees who will be on Mr.Bashir Padiyath’s payroll. Finally, not to be outdonein philanthropy by his clients, Mr. Nazeer Khan builta mosque from his own earnings for the communityas well.


Figure 19. A shrine or a dargah for Jalaluddin al-SayyidMuhammad Fadl P.P. Pokoya Thangal, a Sufi sheikh fromthe Qadiriyyah tariqah or fraternity in Calicut, Kerala.

Figure 20. A mosque in Mattanurl Kannur, Kerala, underconstruction.

Figure 21. A mosque as part of Mr. Bashir Padiyath’sresidential complex in Vettichira, Malappuram, Kerala.

Third, there are those who contend that Mr.Nazeer Khan designs only private lofty houses wheremoney is never an issue and where he and hisuntamed imagination can do anything they want. Heis rather unable to exhibit his artistic andarchitectural aptitudes and to apply his professedarchitectural philosophy in other building typeswhere budget constraints and some specific

institutional requirements could become an issueposing a serious challenge to an architect and hisresourcefulness and problem solving skills. Thiscontention, in equal measure, is an exaggeration. Itis unfair to excessively level this criticism againstMr. Nazeer Khan because, as we have already seen,not all clients of his are exceptionally well-off andso, the creation of their houses must be within thespecified budget limits. Mr. Nazeer Khan lives withthose constraints and still delivers. His ordinarilywell-off clients are reasonably happy seeing goodreturns on their investments.

If his medium cost houses are somewhat moreexpensive than others of similar type, he defendsthe matter by saying that his houses areoutstandingly quality houses and extra money meansextra investment on quality and durability whichinvariably pays off. He is ready to challenge anyoneto reason that such is not a shrewd investment. ToMr. Nazeer Khan, houses are built once in a life-time. They must out-live their architects, buildersand owners. They must perform and live up toexpectations. They must always be assets, ratherthan liabilities, to their owners, in terms of theiroptimal function, usage and maintenance.

Hence, Mr. Nazeer Khan verbally guarantiesthat his houses (all buildings in general) will notshow any serious signs of decaying during the first15-20 years of their existence. During one of thefield studies for writing this essay, one of his earlierhouses after 21 years was undergoing somerenovation work. When contacted, the house owner,Mr Hasan, said that the house needed only repaintingand some general washing, which in fact did noteven merit to be called renovation.

It goes without saying that the thing which Mr.Nazeer Khan dislikes most about the contemporaryarchitecture in Kerala is that it is habituallyasymmetrical, vulnerable, transient andunattractive. He regards the whole unfortunate issueas wasting people’s money, time and opportunities.Mr. Nazeer Khan gleefully recalls how one of hishouses whose construction cost was about 5 millionrupees (about 86,000 USD) was estimated by a bankmanager soon after its construction to cost about 15million rupees (about 256,000 USD). Such were itspanache and quality. At any rate, Mr. Nazeer Khan isopen to designing any buildings with any budgets andfor any type of clients. He guarantees that hisarchitectural principles will under no circumstancesbe compromised.

Moreover, Mr. Nazeer Khan -- also as mentionedearlier -- designs many institutional buildings, bigand small, where budgets are always tight and wherean architect is guided primarily by copiousrequirements relating to the fixed roles and






















functions of those buildings. However, even there heduly delivers what is expected from him. It is truethat such structures are devoid of most sumptuousand luxurious components that adorn most of Mr.Nazeer Khan’s palatial houses, nonetheless, they arestill intrinsically very pretty, stimulating andperfectly functional and efficient. They are stilleasily identifiable in the midst of other public andprivate surrounding buildings. They still carry Mr.Nazeer Khan’s architectural signature. When askedand discussed with, members of the committees ofsome mosques, Hindu temples and churches, havenothing but lavish praise for Mr. Nazeer Khan and hiswork. Without hesitation, they recommend him toothers whenever there is a chance to do so.

Finally, because he lives his architecture, toMr. Nazeer Khan, his buildings are like livingorganisms. His affection for them is formed themoment he starts conceiving them in his mind. Asthe long architectural and then constructionprocesses unfold, so that those abstract conceptscan manifest themselves in the physical world, sodoes his love for his buildings intensify and grow,culminating with their completion. Mr. Nazeer Khanwants from the users of buildings to foster a similaremotional relationship with them. He wants peoplenot only to mechanically use, but also feel affectionfor and cherish their buildings. Only then willarchitecture be able to contribute to people’shappiness, and only then will people be able toexclaim that they have a good architecture whichthey can enjoy. The relationship betweenarchitecture and people is reciprocal, based as muchon external and technical as on emotional andspiritual concerns.

Furthermore, to Mr. Nazeer Khan, houses thathe designs and whose construction he oversees, arelike his daughters. From the beginning till the end,he tenderly pampers, beautifies and nurtures them.They thus at all times must appear flawless andimpeccable. Allowing any even minimal defects inthe design and construction processes means takingaway from the loveliness and gorgeousness of hisdaughters, which, therefore, cannot be tolerated.People live for the sake and future of their children.Their happiness is their parents’ happiness.

Correspondingly, when a house is near itscompletion, Mr. Nazeer Khan sees it the same as adaughter approaching her adulthood, her perfection.Next, when a house is surrendered to its owner,such, instead of being the happiest, is the saddestmoment for Mr. Nazeer Khan. That means that adaughter is being married off and she forever goesfrom her father’s care and protection to herhusband’s. For Mr. Nazeer Khan, the swap is trulyheart-breaking. Consequently, he never attends

house-warming ceremonies which are ceremoniestraditionally held within approximately one week or10 days of moving into a new house. He cannotattend an occasion where a house (daughter) whichheretofore was downright his and under hisguardianship, and to whose grooming anddevelopment he devoted all his attention andenergy, is officially and in his own presencetransferred to somebody else’s ownership and care.

He cannot attend an occasion, furthermore,where his house (daughter) is suddenly taken awayfrom him, and where in a multitude of guests andvisitors he feels as though he is just another guest.He cannot accept to play second fiddle to anybodywhen it comes to his own “creations”. In otherwords, when his houses, as well as other buildings,are concerned, Mr. Nazeer Khan wants all or nothingat all. He seems irrepressible. He knows that this isquite a weird behavioral pattern, but he cannot helpit.

As a matter of fact, he early in his career didonce a mistake and attended a house-warmingceremony for a house which he had earlier designed.It was then that he vowed never to do it again. Hestill remembers the melancholy and pain he wentthrough on that day. He promised never to subjecthimself to that emotional ordeal again. Even afterhouse-warming ceremonies, Mr. Nazeer Khan feels sosad when he visits a house and when he must seekpermission from its owner and inhabitants just toenter. He feels increasingly alienated from hisinventions. This, too, is similar to a daughter whowhen she gets married lives with her husband in aseparate housing unit. Visiting her is no longer allabout her. It is about her and also about herhusband. It is about a pattern of sharing which Mr.Nazeer Khan is not, and will never be, really readyfor.

ConclusionMr. Nazeer Khan is a phenomenon worth

studying. What he has done to the modernarchitectural landscape of the Kerala state – and stilldoes – no other Indian architect has arguably everdone. His architecture is captivating -- sometimes tothe point of being breathtaking -- astounding,intriguing, but also provocative – all at once.Perhaps, there is no architect in the whole of Indiawho divides architectural opinions more than him.This led to the surfacing and cementing of severalserious misconceptions about him and hisarchitectural legacy, most of which have been dealtwith in this essay.


By and large, Mr. Nazeer Khan’s architecture isboth a product and epitome of Kerala Muslims’economic transformation, although the Keralastate’s overall socio-economic and political stabilityand progress plays a notable role as well. One of themost fascinating aspects of Mr. Nazeer Khan’sarchitecture is the way it promotes and facilitatesinter-faith understanding and harmony for which thestate of Kerala is so famous and from which all otherIndian states can learn a lot. Further, hisarchitecture faithfully applies the tenet of diversityin unity according to which all buildings fully adhereto those basic values and principles that areconsidered part of the basic shared framework of hisarchitectural world-view. At the same time, everyedifice freely maintains its own distinct sub-ethos,refinement and taste which do not belie the sharednucleus.

Nonetheless, in order to make his architectureappealing to even brother audiences and to increasehis fan-base, Mr. Nazeer Khan needs to address moreseriously the growing and intensifying trends incontemporary architecture circles, such assustainability, eco-friendly buildings, and showingmore appreciation and respect towards the merit oflocal traditions and their aesthetic expressive andsymbolic value. It is true that Mr. Nazeer Khan is anadmirer of Kerala’s traditional architecture, mainlybecause it follows the omnipotent law of proportionand is commonsensical, yet he should display morereadily a fondness for modernizing and reinvigoratingthe perpetual significance and worth of traditionalarchitecture, and to keep searching for creativeways and means to gradually integrate the same intohis both private and institutional buildings.

Also, when all is said and done, Mr. NazeerKhan should make his architecture even moreaccessible to and affordable by ordinary people. Thisway, he will make way bigger his contributions toKerala society, moving it a step closer to solving itsmounting architectural predicaments. This, indeed,would be an immense challenge for Mr. Nazeer Khanto which, on account of his unprecedented talentand will-power, he can rise and triumph over – if heso wants and has time for.

References

[1] “Kerala Gulf Diaspora.” [Online]. Available:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_Gulf_diaspora. [Accessed: 11-May-2014].

[2] M. B. Mistry, “Kerala Muslims – Impacts ofGulf Remittances.” [Online]. Available:http://islamicvoice.com/islamicvoice/kerala-muslims-impact-of-gulf-remittances.[Accessed: 11-May-2014].

[3] K.K.George and P. Sunaina, “Dynamics ofChange in Kerala’s Education System: TheSocio-economic and Political Dimensions,” inKochi: Centre for Socio-economic &Environmental Studies, 2005, pp. 5–13.

[4] “Islam and Muslims in India: Problems ofIdentity and Existence.” [Online]. Available:http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~rtavakol/engineer/muslims.htm. [Accessed: 13-May-2014].

[5] “Kerala People and Religions.” [Online].Available:http://www.prokerala.com/kerala/religions.htm. [Accessed: 13-May-2014].

[6] S. Hassan, “Jama‘at-i-Islami and the MuslimReform Movement in Kerala.” [Online].Available:http://www.svabhinava.org/meccabenares/YoginderSikand/SiddiqHassanKeralaJamaat-frame.php. [Accessed: 13-May-2014].

[7] H. Randathani, “Mapilla Muslims,” in Calicut:Other Books, 2007.

[8] M. Shokoohy, Muslim Architecture of SouthIndia. London: Routledge Curzon, 2003, pp.137–210.

[9] H. Randathani, Mapilla Muslims. pp. 23–30.[10] K. K. N. Kurup, “Evolution of Residential

Architecture in Kerala,” OIC Today, Business& Investment Magazine (Special Pull-Out),Kuala Lumpur, p. 11, 2014.

[11] “Worship in Homes.” [Online]. Available:http://www.asia.si.edu/pujaonline/puja/homes.html . [Accessed: 15-May-2014].

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THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MR. NAZEER KHAN’S …