Chettinad-
The Land of Heritage & Devotion It is a place that enchants and
enhances the soul. Chettinad is the homeland of the Nattukottai
Chettiars called the Nagarathars, are a prosperous banking and
business community. It is a tourist's paradise with a difference,
and one which certainly cannot be missed by the discerning tourist.
A stray thundershower adds to the charm of the place, churning up
the red soil, and filling up the temple tanks. The palatial
mansions, makes Chettinad a place of rare charm, and a must visit
destination.
Chettinad Houses Chettinad, rich in cultural heritage, art
and architecture, is well known for its houses, that are embellished
with marble and Burma teak. The houses have wide inner courtyards
and spacious rooms. The grandly and wonderfully embellished houses
were created reflect the prosperity of the Nagarathar community. The
basic design comprises of a "thinnai" which is an enclosed courtyard
and this is surrounded by family rooms. The walls are smooth and are
made of special plaster. The plaster involves the application of the
finely ground mixture of powdered shell, lime, jaggery and spices,
including gallnut (myrobalan), to walls. This technique keeps the
interior of the house cool during the hot and humid Indian summers
and lasts a lifetime. The architectural structure of a typical
Chettiar home is a study in how a human dwelling can be constructed
in harmony with nature. High ceilings, airy and well ventilated, the
house has one courtyard near the entrance leads to the imposing main
door, usually made of wood with extraordinarily intricate carvings
of mythological figures.
The thinnai is a long narrow raised platform that serves as a
meeting place and also as a kind of accomodation for travellers and
visitors. The inner courtyard has special significance. It is lined
with classically beautiful pillars made out of granite or teakwood.
The courtyard serves as the venue for the many ceremonies that the
community performs from births to weddings to death.
Deliciously Chettinad Among the various South Indian food varieties,
the
Chettinad style holds a special place for food lovers. Chettinad's
food culture provides varieties for both vegetarians and
nonvegetarians. Apart from usual and familiar food items they have a
list of peculiar snacks items that are delicious and colourful
enough to be a temptation to eat. Some of the food items that are
made by Nagarathars are the following: Ukkarai, Kandarappam,
Karupatti Paniyaram, Kavanarisi, Pal Paniyaram, Thenkuzhal and Seepu
seedai and many more.
Arts & Crafts The arts of Chettinad occupy a distinct position in
South Indian folklore. Wood carving, silver embellishment, woven
saris, palm-leaf baskets, gold jewellery, hand-made tiles,
architectural styles, refined cuisine and egg plastering are among
their more visible contributions to the wide-ranging repertoire of
Indian arts and crafts. Chettinad baskets has a special attraction
as they have intricate patterns made with date-palm leaves. These
patterns are as fine as the embroidery and are the specialty of the
Chettiar community. As the house they live emphasise the lifestyle
that is larger than life, so does the Chettinad weddings. Earlier it
was a week in duration which in course time has now shrunk to three
days. The hospitality, the jewels for bride and bridegroom, the food
varieties, are all special to the occasion. Generally they conduct
the weddings in their own houses. The Nagarathars have the custom of
tying the kalzutheeru as the mangalasutra or the thali, which is
made of gold and covered with diamonds. The pedant in the thali
represents the house and the red spot the holy KumKum.
Athangudi Tiles: A
Superb hand made product made in the nearby village of Atangudi. It
was sand, local water cement and Pigments. Its patterns are simple
unique and tiles floor very cool to walk on.
