Chettinad, Tamil Nadu

A trip to Chettinad, Tamil Nadu is not complete without a visit to the tourists' architectural delights of  Kanadukathan, Athangudi and Pallathur, the main town panchayats of Karaikudi taluk. During our trip for a wedding to Karaikudi we kept a day to include these places to  complete a Chettinad tour. 

Our stay was at one of the houses at Pallathur and this region is more densely populated with narrow straight lanes and a mix of both huge and smaller houses. Few houses have been converted as homestays while many are locked and seem uninhabited.

As we enter Chettinad we can see board signs to Kanadukathan. This part of Chettinad is the home to historic Chettiar mansions built in the early 1900s by a group of  Nattukottai Chettiar community who were native to this place. They were traders since the time of the Chola Empire in the 12th century and dominated regional trade finance in Southeast Asia during the 19th and early 20th centuries. They dealt in a wide variety of items, such as teak, silk, and spices, as far afield as Sri Lanka, Burma, Malaya, and Indonesia. Chettiars’ successful business ventures as merchants mostly overseas funded these impressive structures. The huge profits made were poured back into the Chettinad district of Tamil Nadu. Different families competed with each other to build bigger mansions. All the extended families lived under the same roof thus leading to the construction of these palatial structures with dozens of bedrooms, large kitchens, courtyards and communal dining halls. 

The interiors of these massive mansions are of teak, cedar and marbles brought from Srilanka and  Burma. The entryways have a grandiose temple like portals. The intricately carved heavy teak doors make up an imposing entrance. 

The walls of the mansions are built with bricks plastered with a type of limestone known as Karai. According to locals a mixture of egg whites and  palm sugar were used to give a smooth texture and polish. The floors of these mansions are the most appealing, laid with designed tiles from Italy of eastern era and locally made that of Athangudi. 

As we take a stroll on the empty streets of Kanadukathan, creaky gates and sloppy trees adorn on either sides. Nearing one of the newly painted gates, brightly coloured mansions of white, yellow and turquoise, stands tall, the homes of the Chettinad merchants. Most of these mansions are vacant with a caretaker acting as a guide to show the house around. He stated that the families gathers for weddings and during vacations. The chettiar weddings as a tradition are conducted in these palatial mansions. These mansions are a pride of opulence to the families and with the younger generations migrating to urban settlements this tiny hamlet feels like a living museum on most days. 

One of the grandest of these houses is the Chettinadu Palace which was built in 1902 by Rajah Annamalai Chettiar. Tourists need to take special permission to access this place. A part of it has been converted as a hotel and museum.  One can view this mammoth architectural structure from roads adjoining it. 

The Thousand Window House is another huge mansion at Kanadukathan which is again not open to guests. The mansion's façade is adorned with ornate woodwork and elaborate carvings, and is said to house a 1000 windows.

 
Athangudi village is about 24km from Karaikudi and has a population of about 2000 inhabitants and is mainly known for tiles and furniture. 

The Athangudi floor tiles are handmade by a unique and elaborate process using the local soil. One can visit the Athangudi Tile Palace to have an hands-on experience on making of these tiles. The locals demonstrate the different process involved and one can order and also buy a tile too for keep sake. These tiles weave a tale of  tradition with a myriad of colours and style. Majority of the villagers have sustained the art of tile-making through generations and have made it a trademark of their own. 

Athangudi Palace is near the tile-making factory and  plays the pivotal role in bringing Chettinad heritage to life. It was opened to  public after commendable efforts from the family members in 2010. 

The palace is a beautiful fusion of European and Asian architecture. Japanese tiles blend beautifully with the Athangudi ones while classy Italian marble enhances the colors of both. The Belgian glass windows create a kaleidoscope of colors on the floor and around the Burma teakwood pillars and doors which are engraved with a plethora of intricacies. The paintings and chandeliers ornate the interiors lavishly. It is this whole medley of décor that makes this palace grand and very different from any other Chettiar houses.  

Places like Kanadukathan and Athangudi are living exhibits of the rich architecture and heritage of Chettiars. As tourists we not only marvel at the architectural splendor but also gain insight into the lifestyle and cultural nuances of the Chettiars during their heyday. 

The tradition and culture the community upholds, of families coming together for occasions to the homeland, despite moving to different corners and protecting their ancestral homes as treasures, with pride is indeed commendable.