The region comprising of the town of Karaikudi and a cluster of villages around it, in the Sivaganga district of tamilnadu, is known as Chettinad. It is called so because it is home to the community of people known as chettiars or nagarathars in tamil.
There is so much that is unique about this region and this community, that one can write any lengths about them. indeed, everything that can be written probably has been written, from blog posts to doctoral dissertations to coffee table books - and yet, i'll dare to add a little of my own.
The chettiars, or nagarathars, have traditionally been a community of money lenders and traders, though with the advent of modern times, like everyone else, they have spread out to various different fields. They are known for their business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as generous philanthropy.
Chettinad is known for its craftsmanship, evidenced in everything from intricate woodwork, colourful tiles, bronze and brass utensils, to palm leaf baskets. The region is also synonymous for its famed cotton fabrics as well as its legendary cuisine - but the most impressive and awe inspiring feature of chettinad is its architecture - its houses. many of the old 'houses' are nothing short of palatial mansions, imposing structures rising out of the landscapes of otherwise non descript quiet little villages.
Originally meant to house large extended families, these mansions have been built and embellished with a lot of wood, lacquer, glass, enamelware and so on from burma, malaysia, europe etc, dating to a couple of centuries back, when the community's trading roots had spread across countries. The houses stand testimony to the exquisite craftsmanship of the region, though many of them today are empty or see the families gathering only for weddings or other such occasions. a few of them have also been turned into heritage hotels.
The one above is probably the most famous and easily recognized of them all, the Kanadukathan palace, just about 15 kms from the town of karaikudi in sivaganga district. It belongs to one of the most famous families of the region, that of Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar - the house was built by him in the early 1900s and now belongs to subsequent generations of the family.
Here is another imposing chettinad mansion from kanadukathan, its grandeur telling tales of the days gone by.
Views from up close, above and below, with details of its glorious past still evident in its discoloured present.
There is so much that is unique about this region and this community, that one can write any lengths about them. indeed, everything that can be written probably has been written, from blog posts to doctoral dissertations to coffee table books - and yet, i'll dare to add a little of my own.
The chettiars, or nagarathars, have traditionally been a community of money lenders and traders, though with the advent of modern times, like everyone else, they have spread out to various different fields. They are known for their business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as generous philanthropy.
Chettinad is known for its craftsmanship, evidenced in everything from intricate woodwork, colourful tiles, bronze and brass utensils, to palm leaf baskets. The region is also synonymous for its famed cotton fabrics as well as its legendary cuisine - but the most impressive and awe inspiring feature of chettinad is its architecture - its houses. many of the old 'houses' are nothing short of palatial mansions, imposing structures rising out of the landscapes of otherwise non descript quiet little villages.
Originally meant to house large extended families, these mansions have been built and embellished with a lot of wood, lacquer, glass, enamelware and so on from burma, malaysia, europe etc, dating to a couple of centuries back, when the community's trading roots had spread across countries. The houses stand testimony to the exquisite craftsmanship of the region, though many of them today are empty or see the families gathering only for weddings or other such occasions. a few of them have also been turned into heritage hotels.
You can see above, a section of the palace up close, with the vibrant colours that are quite characteristic of chettinad.
This long series of gates is nothing but the garages or car sheds, for all the cars of the family !
The length of the house as seen from one of the side streets will give more idea of the extent of its size.
Here is another imposing chettinad mansion from kanadukathan, its grandeur telling tales of the days gone by.
seen above and below are the entrances, which have another essential feature of chettinad houses - the main entrances of traditional chettinad houses always rise up a flight of stairs. why ? legend has it that the nagarathars or chettiars originally migrated to this arid, dry region of tamil nadu from flood-prone coastal areas. hence they supposedly had a fear of flooding in them, and built their houses well raised from the ground.
Arent they glorious, these vestiges to a past swept up by the tides of time ? i always hope that i can go back, find time to see some of these houses in more detail, walk on their cool earthen tiles, lean on their pillars, and see if the walls have stories to whisper... someday, maybe... :)
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