Kalithattu (rest house)

{{Short description|Structure in India}}

File:Thalavoor Thrikkonnamarkodu Durga Devi Temple Kalathattu.jpg

File:Thalavoor Thrikkonnamarkodu Durga devi Temple Kalathattu.png

Kalithattu (Malayalam: കളിത്തട്ട്) is a type of wayside public rest house in Kerala and surrounding regions in southern India. Kalithattu are public rest-house built in villages, towns, agriculture fields and near temples for locals, pilgrims, travelers, and traders to rest.{{cite news |title=Icons of the past dusted for future |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/icons-of-the-past-dusted-for-future/article7755807.ece |work=The Hindu |date=12 October 2015 |language=en-IN}} In villages, it was used by those involved in agriculture, long-distance travelers to relieve fatigue and locals to attend cultural meetings.{{cite news |title=നൂറ്റാണ്ടുകൾ പിന്നിട്ട് മുല്ലൂർകുളങ്ങരയിലെ കളിത്തട്ട് |url=https://newspaper.mathrubhumi.com/features/sunday-special/sundayspecial-1.8498516 |work=Newspaper |date=22 April 2023 |language=en}} Kalithattus are traditionally built from wood, they have wooden pillars, wooden floors and sloping roofs with two gables.{{cite news|title=യുവാക്കൾ ഒത്തുചേർന്നു|url=https://www.rashtradeepika.com/kalithattu-kollam/ |work=RashtraDeepika |date=17 September 2018}}{{cite news |title=പഴമയുടെ പെരുമ വിളിച്ചോതി വെള്ളായണിയിലെ കളിത്തട്ട് |url=https://www.asianetnews.com/local-news/vellayini-kalithattu-in-trivandrum-fvv-rs05xq |work=Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd |language=ml}}

Kalithattu shares common origin with rest-houses like Ambalamas of Sri Lanka and Patis of Nepal. According to Anuradha Seneviratna and Benjamin Polk rest-houses like these were well established before 230 BC as Mauryan kings issued orders carved on stones or iron columns for planting of avenues of trees and for building shelters for the comfort of pilgrims.{{cite book |last1=Seneviratna |first1=Anuradha |last2=Polk |first2=Benjamin |title=Buddhist Monastic Architecture in Sri Lanka: The Woodland Shrines |date=1992 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=978-81-7017-281-9 |page=123 |language=en}}