I grudgingly woke up to the vigorous shaking of my shoulder by the conductor and groggily dragged myself out of the bus. In no time I was being ushered hastily in the car for a bumpy ride along the dusty road from Karaikudi to the small town of Kanadukathan.  Typical Indian village topography rushed past me – open fields, cows grazing lazily, several water bodies, blurry eyed children making way to school half heartedly and the women busying themselves with house-hold chores. I yawned and imagined my trip to be a ‘classic’ village type and tried to probe the driver with some fractured Tamil. With much amusement at my attempt to speak his language, Gopi struggled to explain the celebrated history of his small village, but I knew I had found the correct person to guide me through the day.

There were 15 kilometres to traverse and as we entered the vicinity of Kanadukathan, I noticed that a haunting silence lurked eerily. The sun was at its –‘un-friendliest’ best and shone harshly even at eight in the morning. It almost cautioned me for preparedness to let my traveller’s curiosity to prevail over heat and language gap. Disorientation, sleepiness and language barrier was soon thrown to the winds as I started observing the spectacular architecture in every single building that went by. It was like the town had been soaked in history. Weathered walls, an emphatic facade with sculptures, enormous gates and the stained glass windows speckled the town – truly a photographer’s delight.

The Chettinad region lies in central Tamil Nadu and has been the cynosure of architecture, local cuisine, wood craft and business for centuries. History still mingles with daily life with many long established majestic homes. One of the reasons why many have been sufficiently preserved is with an innovative recipe of baked bricks plastered with roots of local plants, yolk, jaggery and lime – giving the inside of the houses a sheen. With well fashioned rooms, intricate use of teak and impressive doors lends a sense of erstwhile prosperity to the region. Kanadukathan specifically draws travellers to see the Chettiar King’s Palace.

I finally arrived at the ancestral house of Ms. Visalakshi Ramaswamy, the founder of MRM Foundation, which works tirelessly for the conservation of Chettinad culture, involving local villages in indigenous businesses like weaving saris, tile making and basket weaving. The ‘Kandanghi’ saris from Chettinad, which have been developed by her, are especially coveted.

A majestic courtyard greeted me as climbed to an elevated step to the house. Every bit of the house was doused with erstwhile glory which is still maintained very well. High ceilings in the living and dining area lend a majestic air to the house. Starkly opposite to these were the cosy, low roofed bedrooms with heavy wooden doors. The most regal part of the house, though, was clearly the central courtyard, overlooked by humongous lazy chairs. I languorously inspected the house and was fascinated by the furniture, paintings, grain storage and a section of the house which doubles up as a museum. Authentic Chettinad objects from daily life are displayed aesthetically and give a perspective of the living in this region.  The staff pampered me with a constant supply of traditional snacks till I was back on the road to see some more of this exquisite town.

The region is famous for the sparse population of Ayyanar Temples. The priests unusually are from potters’ families. One of the distinct features of these temples is the white terracotta horses which skirt the boundaries of the temples. These temples are dedicated to Lord Ayyanar who is said to be the celebrated son of the union of Shiva and the female form of Vishnu.

Ten kilometres off Kanadukathan, the Thirumayam Fort covers an area of 40 acres and was built in 1687. Apart from the Vishnu and Shiva temples inside, a clear wide view of the area in the light of the setting sun is fabulous. The Shiva temple sits precariously atop a rock and can be reached by a ladder, a single person at a time. The Vishnu temple is behind the fort with an octagonal tank fed by underground water source.

The hand-made tiles at Athangudi are interesting and great to pick up an authentic piece of Chettinad. The mud near the Athangudi village is conducive to make these unique tiles and serves as a livelihood for many. The sari unit lies in Kanadukathan and has visitors making a beeline for these simple but exquisite cotton saris. Many ladies sit in an old house near the courtyard and weave on old conventional wheels.

Many old mansions have given permits to guides to explain about the architecture to tourist groups. With many special nuances in the construction and aesthetics, it is imperative to have a local with you to understand these details.

A trip into authentic Chettinad areas is certainly spectacular with great insights into the rich cultural heritage. The seemingly fragile architecture especially stands as a strong testimony to the glorious past of the Chettiar.

Boxed Info:

Food:

When visiting Chettinad, one must try some of the traditional preparations – quite famously aromatic but also oily and spicy. Some of the must try dishes are varuval, poriyal, kuzambu (fish) and the chicken.
Furniture

A few years ago when some of the old mansions of the region were pulled down to construct modern houses – old wooden doors, pillars, old furniture etc were sold as valuable antiques and these became a rage amongst many. One street in Karaikudi sells this distressed old furniture and other bric bracs even now.