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5th February 2012

Images by Anita Satyajit

Old-world charm at Chettinad

by Anita Satyajit

The moment I set foot in Chettinad, I was charmed. A cluster of villages in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, Chettinad is primarily known for its robust and flavourful cuisine, and few are aware of the architectural magnificence of homes in the towns and villages of this area. As a testament to their prosperity, businessmen and bankers of the Nagarathar Chettiar community who resided here built lavish homes with Italian marbles, local hand-made athangudi tiles, British steel and Burma teak wood.

Karaikudi is the centre of this area, and wandering through the villages at its periphery I was struck by the size of these homes. Many sit empty, for the younger generations have all but moved to the city to find their fortunes, leaving behind disintegrating homes and legacies. Shops at Karaikudi’s Muniswaran Kovil street now sell bits of these homes as antiques. And at hotels here one can feast on the yummy local Chettinad food, famous for its strong flavours caused by the use of spices such as star anise - a food that's spicy enough to set your ears aflame.

Kanadukathan, an entire village demarcated as a heritage site, is another place here that truly transports you back in time. As I walked down a road, the wind played catch with a lone plastic bag that crashed itself against a wall and fell down without a sigh. A cyclist tinkled his bell as he passed by us and an old man in a yellowing dhoti threw a toothless grin my way. Gigantic homes baked and browned under years of fiery South Indian sun, watched passer-bys wearily. By the time I reached the Chettinad mansion, the only movement near me was the ripple of the water in the temple pond opposite it.

Time stands still here in salutation to this gigantic home. The Chettinad mansion, called the Raja’s palace by locals, was constructed over a period of ten years from 1902 and is now run as a boutique hotel. The nearly 40,000 square feet of this property is symbolic of the opulent lifestyle of its erstwhile owners. Striking embellishments on doors and pillars, wide open courtyards, large airy rooms, black and white Italian marble floors, high wooden ceilings, colourful façade, decadent décor, all stands out and command people’s attention.

Chettinad truly remains one of the few places in India which has still not be trampled over and destroyed by tourists. It retains its culture with its thousand-year-old temples like the famous Pillayarpatti temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, its people and their idyllic ways, its splendid homes that more often than not function as marriage halls now, and its flavourful food that can cause your taste-buds to have its own celebratory dance inside your mouth.