The ladies in the image are sisters in a typial Kalpathi household. The one in the kitchen is making the famous filter coffeee for me. In fact I'd barged in hearing about a 102 years old mother of them.

I went exploring the dark array of rooms lined up as if in a procession in these typical rowhouses. The neverending damp floors badly needed repair, reminding me of roads in Kerala after the monsson. Overlapping shadows were often puncutred by glass-tiled skylights, like the one illuminating the lady in green next to their pooja - the place of worship. The window at the far end opens to a courtyard with a well that can be accessed from the kitchen directly. A few more rooms further I found another well accessed from the spacious bath. The rear courtyard of every such house had a kitchen garden and cowshed. 

Designs that promote a lifestyle abuzz with community living yet help maintain utmost privacy and self sufficency within every household. Wonder why we took a 'U' turn from such proven practices in civilisations.