I grew up with a lot of interaction with Chettiar families. The memories of these families was reinforced when I came back to Chennai and got to know some of the women of the community. My devotion to Ganesha kindled the wish to see Pillayarpatti, a temple that is part of the Chettiar heritage. A few years ago I had the chance of visiting Karaikudi and Devakottai and the temple and it was a strange but satisfying experience.
Chettinad's capital - Karaikudi
I travelled by train and reached Karaikudi early in the morning and alighted at the sleepy and dimly lit station. A taxi met me, arranged by my host and I was whisked off to a hotel. The town was sleeping and near the station it was just like any other small town in Tamilnadu. The streets are lined with old Chettinad mansions.
After a wonderful breakfast I hopped into another taxi and was whisked off to Karaikudi, the biggest city in Sivaganga district and known as the capital of Chettinad. It is the ancestral home of the Chettiars, the community known for its businessmen. The Chettiars were great travellers and built up businesses in Burma, Malaysia and Singapore. The men went overseas and many families stayed back in the 74 villages of Chettinad.
Karaikudi, the name derived from a local plant called "Karai", is full of the huge mansions built by the rich community. Most of these ‘bangalas’ are derelict and come to life only when there are family celebrations for occasions ranging from birth, to coming of age, marriage, sixtieth birthdays and death.
The Chettiar Mansions
The houses of the Nagarathar Chettiyars are huge and can accommodate many people. The houses are built between two streets with the front door opening into the first street and the back into the second. Leading off from a central courtyard are tiny rooms with highly carved and decorated doors. The door frames are carved with a Gajalakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and a Kumbam (brass pot) with sprouting mango leaves at the top. Some buildings have scenes of the Mahabharatha and Ramayana carved on its wooden panels and walls. Many entrances have a raised platform, the ‘Thinnai’ that was the meeting place for men and other visitors who came to the house on business. To one side are the store rooms and massive wooden granaries and on the other the Accountant's room and further on the men's well.
Each room was allotted to a bride who entered the family. She kept all her possessions in it. Her dowry would normally include multiple numbers, 50 or 100 pieces of every item, required to run a house including dishes, kitchen equipment and furniture, bedding, silver and gold items. Her travelling husband would bring exotic dinner sets and curios from his travels and all these things were stored in this little room. The items were hardly used and were intended as a safety net to be used as inventory to start a shop in case of need.
The women stayed at the back of the house in the second courtyard and the men used the huge halls of the upper floor. Children ran about all over the house. Every increase to the affluence of the main householder was spent in renovating, painting and embellishing of the main areas of the house. The huge Burma teak pillars, the ornamentation of walls and pediments, wooden moulding, murals and ornate balustrades and railings are a visual treat.
Alas many of the families have splintered into nuclear units and migrated to the bigger cities and outside India. The ‘bangalas’ have been deserted and marauders have stripped many of them for disposing off as antiques. You can get a watchman to open one of these old mansions to see the splendour of a bygone era.
Chettinad Museum
In the Chettinad museum, next door to the Raja's palace, a lot of the community’s lifestyle is represented. In the kitchen section the travelling kit with its elaborate basket containing everything to cook an al fresco meal is worth seeing. The traditional jewellery and clothing, huge copper water vats and grain bins are interesting.
Temple Trail
The Chettiars claim allegiance to seven temples that is the basis of clans. The river Thenar flows through parts of the city of Karaikudi and many beautiful temples exist within the city and a few kilometres outside it.
- The Sri Meenakshi-Sundareswarar temple, also known as Sivan Temple, built in 1872 has some amazing carvings on its walls and pillars. It also has 108 statues of Ganapathi.
- Sekkalai, to the north-east of Karaikudi, was known as "Jain Kunda Puram".
- Mutthu Pattinam has the beautiful MuthuMariamman Temple.
- In the heart of the town is Kallukatti with the Koppudai Amman temple.
- The Kunnakudi temple is 14 kms away from Karaikudi. It has an ancient cave temple of Subramanya situated on a small hill. Three excavated cave shrines at the ground level, dedicated to Shiva, are adjacent to one another and are of historical interest. Structures have been added to these shrines in the front. The first two shrines are embellished with exquisite sculptural details including beautifully carved 'Dwarapalas'. The third cave is plain. A number of old inscriptions have been found.
- The Pillaiyarpatti rock cut temple of Lord Ganesha is 12kms away from Karaikudi. It was built in the 16th century by the Pandya Kings on top of a hillock. It houses Karpaga Vinayaka and a Shiva Lingum carved out of a stone.
Thirumayam Fort
I did not visit the Thirumayam Fort that is a heritage town on the Rameshwaram-Trichy highway. The fort is set in 40 acres, is built on huge boulders and goes right round the hill. It was built by Sethupathi Vijaya Raghunatha Thevar, ruler of Ramanathapuram in 1687 A.D. During World War II, the fort was used as an armoury by the British army.
Inside the fort there are two famous rock-cut shrines, one of Siva and other of Vishnu, The Siva temple is carved out of the rock and can be reached only by a ladder and that too one person at a time. The Vishnu temple is behind the Fort and has an unusual octagonal temple tank fed by the underground water source. Five smaller forts may be seen around the main Thirumayam Fort.
Devakottai
Devakottai is the twin city of the region. The most striking ‘bangala’ belongs to the Periya Minor with a Spanish tiled roof, Italian floor tiles and carved teak pillars. The walls, it is said, used to be polished with a paste made out of eggwhites to give a smooth texture. The place is also famous for Devakottai chicken.
Chettinadu Food
Chettinad is well known for its food that is essentially spicy. Food in many ancient homes is still cooked on wood fires that gives the food a distinct quality. The paal paniyaram (pasta in sweet milk), the classical "kara kozhambu" (hot and spicy curry) and a host of chicken, sea food and vegetarian dishes, especially tiffins are typical of this region.
Make it a point to taste the many preparations of nandu (crab) and yerra (prawn) that are fried, the mince and the curries, the tongue-smacking rasam/ soups, the fried rabbit, soft dosais and idiappams with coconut milk and korma.
Chettinadu Apparel
The Chettinad cotton sari is unique in the use of colours. It has a distinctive pattern with bold checks and stripes and a temple tower motif.
Chettinad Tiles
At Athangudi, famous for Athangudi tiles I visited the factory and was introduced to the famous handmade terracotta tiles that are patterned and sun-dried. There is a local secret to the making of this tile.
Antique Hunt
I did make a visit to the antique shops on Muniswaran Kovil Street that contain artefacts stripped from the ‘bangalas’. I picked up glass paintings that had grown black from the lamps and camphor of puja rooms. Wooden carvings, glass and enamel ware, brass and ceramics and a whole cornucopia of Indian and foreign goods are exhibited any which way. You literally have to grope your way through the stuff piled higgledy-piggledy on the floors and shelves.
Places to stay in Chettinad
Visalam: Relive the traditions and cuisine of the Chettiars, a prosperous Tamil community, at this beautifully restored 15-room luxury heritage hideaway in the village of Kanadukathan.
Chettinad Mansion: A lovingly restored 100-year old mansion, showcasing Chettiar history and their unique cuisine, also in Kanadukathan!
Getting There
Chettinadu is situated 2 hours away from Tiruchy, Tanjore and Madurai. The best way to reach Chettinadu is to take a flight or train to Tiruchirapalli or Madurai from Chennai. From there, hire a car and driver and take the 90-minute transfer. Chennai has an international airport which caters to carriers, with flights to and from almost any destination in the world.
