Family protects Mughal style heritage structure

Nandivelugu (Guntur): When the old structures being demolished due to huge increase of land prices after new capital announcement, a family is still protecting their 100-year-old heritage structure resembling a palace in Guntur district. The Pachipulusu family is still living in the two-storied heritage structure which was constructed with lime, mixed with egg yolk at Nandivelugu in the APCRDA region.

The Nandivelugu village is situated 24 km distance from Guntur and 6 km from Tenali with a population of 6,500 people. The two-storied building also called as Kodiguddu Meda was constructed in the Mughal architectural style during British regime in the year 1917. Patchipulusu Pullaiah was a farmer and a trader and he visited the then Madras and other areas for trading purposes. Inspired by the big buildings at Madras and other areas, he decided to construct a two-storied building besides the main road at Nandivelugu.

The family members said that there were no skilled workers to construct the mahal-type meda. So, Pullaiah brought the workers and British engineers from Madras who completed the construction in two years. Presently, retired engineer P. Rampullaiah, the great grandson of Pullaiah is living with his family in Kodiguddu Meda. He said that teakwood, iron and glasses for windows were imported from Rangoon and England through ship and used them in the construction and still the building is intact as egg yolk and jaggery was mixed in the white lime. He explained that the lime mixer was prepared in the mill operated by bulls. He said that many people, mainly wealthy class, asked them to sell the heritage building but they turned it down and decided to protect it as their family heritage.

P. Satyanarayana, 85, who was living in front of the Kodiguddu Meda said that the mixture of egg yolk and jaggery was the strength of this building. Hence, it is called Kodiguddu Meda. He said that many people from various areas of AP used to visit the Kodiguddu Meda and constructed this type of buildings in Vizianaga-ram, Rajahmundry, Eluru and other areas but only this building stood strong. Neighbours, M. Mohana Murali and Venkateswara Rao praising Pachipulusu family and said that this Mahal/Kodiguddu Meda is giving recognition to Nandivelugu for decades and sought popularising the Mahal as a tourist centre.