Chettinad - A hidden Gem

Traveling to Chettinad 

Chettinad means Land of the Chettiars and this region consisting a few districts is located in Tamil Nadu, India. It was historically the homeland of the Chettiar community, a prosperous merchant and banking class, whose legacy is reflected in the grandeur of the region.

The origin of Chettinad was in the 13th century when the Nattukottai Chettiars migrated to Karaikudi from the area of Cauvery Poompattinam after a massive flood destroyed their houses and business. This new settlement eventually became the Chettinad region of 96 villages in 1947 and over a 600-1500 square mile area, out of which around 76 villages still exist today. 

Today, the Chettinad region is well known for its 19th-century mansions, whose wide courtyards and spacious rooms are embellished with marble and teak. Some of these have now been converted to Heritage vilas and hotels. 

Chidambara Vila

We were looking to stay for a few days at one of these places but most of them were booked out. We finally managed to get accommodation at Chidambara Vilas which is a 110 year old heritage home, now converted into a hotel. The plan was to stay for 2 nights and 3 days and then travel to Madurai before returning to Bangalore.  

Chidambara vila was built between 1897 to 1904 on a one acre plot which was gifted by the Maharaja of Pudukottai to Krishnappa Chettiar, a powerful and influential family known for their financial prowess and traditional Chettinad heritage. The villa has been leased to the Sangam group to manage the property which restored it over 3 years to ensure that the authentic heritage of the house is preserved.

The Chettiar Community

The Chettiars were traders and financiers across Southeast Asia, particularly during the second half of 19th and early 20th century when they were at the peak of their economic power. They were the major banking Hindu community of South India.

For centuries, the Chettiars were traders in salt and semi-precious stones. They always led urban lives and had little interest in cultivation. It was the British who first asked the Chettiars to finance rice cultivation in Burma. Even though they started as the agents of British banks in Burma, the Chettiars swiftly graduated to being money-lenders. The community had trade contacts with Vietnam, SriLanka, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia.  

Chettiar Mansions 

Mansion Interiors

The Chettiars sent back the money earned abroad to save. At home, they mainly engaged in banking and later ventured into agriculture, industry and other businesses. Settling down in the Chettinad region, they built large mansions from their riches. These mansions have an unqiue architecture imbibing influences from all over the world along with combining Tamil traditions. The community is organized around 9 clan temples. Each member of the Chettiar community belongs to a clan and each clan has its own temple.

The mansions are all built in a South-North/East-West grid pattern with Construction materials, decorative items, and furnishings mostly imported from East Asian countries and Europe. The marble was brought from Italy, chandeliers and teak from Burma, crockery from Indonesia, crystals from Europe and wall-to-wall mirrors from Belgium. Many of these mansions were built using a type of limestone known as karai. In fact, this is why this area is called Karaikudi. The mansion walls were polished with a paste made out of egg whites and palm sugar to give them a smooth texture and for their cooling qualities. These walls can be cleaned and are strong enough to last centuries.

Vila Tour

One of the perks of staying at the hotel was an hour long free tour of the Vila which was conducted by the Manager. We were taken through the architecture of the house, building design and materials used. It was for us one of the highlights of the trip. 

Abandoned Villas

We also did a village walk in Ramachandrapuram. All around the village, there were abandoned villas which were built from early British rule to the 1940s. Walking around these abandoned houses and looking at their facades was an amazing experience. The village had houses, a school where Mahatma Gandhi had once visited, a temple and a tank. 

The village tank was in the outskirts of the village. Rain water from each house is taken by underground drains which collectively terminate in the tanks. When the tank overflows, the excess water runs into the adjoining tanks through provisions in the previous tank 

Facade

Facade Stucco Work

The mansion’s facade is embellished with stucco figurines, murals, ornamental balustrades, cornices and domed towers. In the centre are tall stucco figurines of Gajalakshmi (the goddess of wealth) depicted standing on a lotus, flanked by elephants pouring water from pots held in their trunks, and women chamara -bearers. Above the Gajalakshmi statue are flying angels with garlands in their hands. Gajalakshmi symbolizes protection and prosperity and is the leitmotif of the facades of all the mansions. 

A Chettinad house extends from one end of the lane to the next and the doors are in perfect alignment. If the doors are open, standing on the main door of the house, one can see the subsequent doors all the way to the parallel lane.

The entire building was built on an elevated plinth which keeps rains and floods away. This practice came from their fear of water as their earlier livelihood was washed away by floods from the sea. 

The building is divided into portions called ‘Kattu’ and each house has a Mugappu, Valavu, Irandankattu, Moonankattu & thottam

Reception Area  - Mugappu 

Mugappu with Main Door at the back

This is the reception area at the entrance of the house. The outside verandah called Thinnai is a raised platform for guests with two rooms on either ends for conducting business. Large Wooden pillars support these platforms. A key element of the reception is the Kallupetti which is the accountant’s desk. 

The courtyard showcases Belgium glass decorations, Italian tiles, Victorian furniture and chandeliers. This area was used to conduct business and entertain visitors, while entry to the rest of the house was restricted to family.

The main door which leads to the living area of the house is made of Burma teak and intricately carved with ornate wood work and figures of Gods and Goddesses. Delicate floral filigrees adorn the high door frame. 

Living Area - Valavu 

This is the living area of the house with an interior courtyard which is used for living for during ceremonies. Raised platforms form the corridor around the courtyard which have several living halls and double storerooms that are allocated to each married son to store their personal belongings. These are generally on the ground floor.  

Kolam in the Valavu Area

Living rooms and bedrooms are mostly on the first floor. Window niches and arches above are decorated with stucco work or paintings. Murals can be seen on the top of the doors.

The main Valavu which also has the Pooja Room is still used for family functions and festivals. In the courtyard, there were two large Kolams that were made every day by a lady early in the morning after washing away the previous days Kolam. It is a ceremony worth watching.

All the floors are laid with Italian marble Black and White, Granite and  Athangudi tiles. Japanese and Spanish tiles are used for side walls. The courtyard is designed for collecting and harvesting rain water. 

Dining and Kitchen

The Irandankattu is used for dining with storerooms for storing crockery and cookware. The last courtyard at the rear end of Chettinad Home is the Kitchen area or the Moomankattu. This served as the women’s domain where the women of the community reared children, engaged in cooking and in preserving foods. 

The Thottam is the Garden with stables and cowsheds.

Roof and Pillars

Pillars

Chettinad roofs are uniquely designed for air cooling and collecting rainwater. The repetition of rectangular plots, the organization of the houses in successive courtyards and the hierarchy of the pavilions with sloping and terrace roofs has created a specific roofscape, unique to Chettinad 

The pillars in the houses are made of Wood, stone and Granite. Wooden columns are mainly used for inside areas and stone pillars for the courtyards (main or kitchen). In a later period, granite pillars were used in the outdoor thinnai.

Managing the Business

We got some interesting insights from our hosts about the way the business was managed. For example in the reception area, one side of the Thinnai was used for disbursing loans and the other for collecting payments. Each payment was separated into the Principal and Interest and stored in separate rooms for easy book keeping. The norm was that any additional investment or expenses of the house can be taken only from the Interest and the Principal cannot be touched. Touche!   

Each son was given one profession to handle and these would be rotated on a yearly basis to build trust amongst them. For example one son would be given the money lending business while the other would take care of farming. After a year the roles will be rotated. Also, each son would have to get experience in another Chettiar family before being allowed to independently manage the business. This is to ensure that the father is not soft on them!

The lending interest rates would be set by one of the Chettiar families in Chennai and communicated daily. Every Chettiar family then had to offer the same interest for the day so that there is no undercutting. 

Chettinad Meals

No trip to Chettinad is complete without savoring the unique Chettinad meal. Chidambara Vilas had a special thali which was supervised by a lady whose family used to cook for the same Chettiar household and what followed was a delightful feast. 

Kavuni Arisi (Black Rice) Payasam was the first sweet dish to taste before diving into the rest of the food. 

There were soups like Murunga keerai (a flavourful and healthy soup made with drumstick leaves) and Karuveppilai Kozhi Rasam (a thin peppery chicken bone soup). 

Malli Saadam or Jasmine Rice was provided along with Pulao. This was accompanied by vegetables -  Vatha Kuzhambu (Dried vegetable Gravy),  Vazhaithandu Kootukari (Banana Stem cooked in Toor dal and tempered with coconut and tadka), Beetroot Potato Podimass (stir-fry dish made with beetroot and potato), Kovakkai Masala ( ivy gourd also known as tindora or dondakaya cooked in a flavorful masala gravy), Vendakkai Milagai Mandi - (Lady's finger green chili subji) and Senai Varuval (Elephant Yam fried dish). 

Paruppu Nei (Ghee Dal), Suraikkai Sambar (Bottle gourd sambar) and Paruppu Rasam (Ghee Rasam) accompanied the vegetables. Other side dishes included Green Peas Vadai (Vadas made of green peas), Maangai Pachadi (Raw Mango chutney) and Nilakkadalai Thuvayal (Peanut chutney)

Non Veg items that were included were Kozhi Varutha Curry (Roasted Chicken), Meen Varuval (Roasted Fish), Meen Kuzhambu (Fish Gravy), and Muttai Poriyal (Egg Stir Fry)

Finally, there was the Yoghurt and Aval Payasam (Flattened Rice Payasam) to finish off the meal.

Places to See 

Chidambara villas is located in a village called Ramachandrapuram, a little away from the main hubs of Kanadukathan, Athangudi and Karaikudi all towards the south where most of the heritage buildings and the antique market are located. Athangudi is the location for the spectacular Athangudi Palace and Athangudi tiles which are made in the village. Karaikudi has the Antiques market, one of the finest antique markets in the country with exotic authentic antiques available at down to earth prices. 

Over the course of the next 2 days, we went around the Chettinad area. To the south in Kanadukathan, we toured the VVR Heritage house which is well preserved. The Athangudi Palace in Periyaveedu is well maintained and is a must see. Finally we went to the Karaikkudi Antiques Market and bought a spectacular wooden Window framed painting of Lord Krishna which we proudly installed at our home. Very soon, our tour of Chettinad was over and we left for Madurai to see the Meenakshi temple and thereafter back to Bangalore.