Architecture, Ritual and Religion in Sarah Joseph’s Othappu

Abstract

To be human is to be placed, to exist in relation to physical structures, both to shape them and to be shaped by them. The oral and textual expressions of human experiences of God interact with the spatial surroundings, which are not mere empty containers of physical space. Built space is a physical entity as well as a socially and historically constructed place, which constantly interacts with human behaviour, thinking and feeling. Architecture is generally both the process and the product of planning, designing, and constructing buildings and other physical structures. If architecture is considered an art form then it too can shape the ritual and symbolic action of the people who experience that space. Here spatial experience of architecture can be used as a tool to explore the anxieties that surround religious identities.