India’s architectural traditions are living classrooms—rich with lessons on materials, climate, craft, and culture. One such timeless tradition is Kaavi Art, an ancient mural technique that forms an integral part of India’s vernacular architectural heritage. At REVA University, the School of Architecture actively engages with such indigenous knowledge systems, enabling students to learn directly from time-tested practices and translate them into contemporary architectural understanding.
Kaavi art, also known as Kaavi Kale, originated along the Konkan coastal belt of India, particularly in Goa, Karnataka, parts of Maharashtra, and Kerala. The art form is deeply connected to the land rather than to religion. It evolved in regions abundant in laterite stone, where iron oxide–rich red soil, locally called kavi, became both a building material and a natural pigment. The distinctive deep maroon surface, etched to reveal white lime plaster beneath, gives Kaavi murals their striking visual identity.
What makes Kaavi art especially relevant to architectural education is its functional intelligence. The lime-based Kaavi plaster is waterproof, durable, and reflective of heat—qualities ideally suited to coastal and tropical climates. The preparation of the plaster involves mixing sieved laterite soil with lime paste, carefully matured and enhanced with natural binding agents such as jaggery, plant decoctions, fruit extracts, tamarind seed powder, and beeswax, depending on traditional practice and material availability.
The application process is equally meticulous. Multiple layers of lime plaster are applied and finished with a thin maroon Kaavi layer that is polished smooth. Artisans then engrave patterns using pointed tools, revealing the white lime base beneath. The resulting compositions—ranging from geometric mandalas and floral vines to mythological narratives and architectural motifs—reflect precision, symmetry, and deep cultural symbolism.
At REVA University, the Architecture curriculum encourages students to study, document, and practise such living crafts through courses on building materials, construction techniques, vernacular architecture, and hands-on studio explorations. Student engagement with Kaavi art recently received national-level recognition at a competition conducted by CSIR-CBRI in association with IIT Roorkee, underscoring the academic and cultural relevance of this approach.
By integrating traditional art forms like Kaavi into architectural learning, REVA nurtures architects who design with sensitivity to place, material, and heritage—ensuring that India’s living traditions continue to inform its future built environments.
