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HERITAGE

The road to Chettinad

It is here that culture and architecture have blended together. The result? What RUPA GOPAL calls a must-see destination.

RUPA GOPAL

The pillared inner courtyard of the Chettinad Palace...

MALAYSIA, Myanmar, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam have one factor in common — the South Indian Chettiar.

This enterprising community of businessmen saw its bold men crossing the rough seas a century ago, migrating to unknown and undeveloped lands. Jungle and swamp, unknown oriental races, language, food, climate, none of these deterred the Indian Chettiar gentleman, in his determination to make a home and live in these faraway lands. He was probably spurred on in his endeavours by the fact that Chettinad, a dry and barren region deep in Tamil Nadu, South India, offered no career opportunities for him.

The Chettiars went to the East, some as plantation workers, while others as bankers. Gradually, this community became wealthy. Having left families behind in their native land, it was customary for the Chettiars to make periodic visits home to preserve family ties, and to build palatial homes.

These mansions stand out even today in the barren region, a testimonial to riches, to the conglomeration of various cultural influences and building styles. Above all, the Chettiar indulged in immense ornamentation, with gods and heroes, ancestors, flora and fauna, all playing a role in the decor. All the mansions have lovely teak, marble or granite pillars supporting a spacious verandah, and the inner courtyards, the domain of the sheltered women. The Burma teak for these lathe turned pillars came from the forests of Myanmar (Burma) and Malaysia. Having no cargo containers then, with shipping itself a bit rare, these huge logs were transported in a novel and typically thrifty manner.

The Chettiars are known by their numerous initials like KL, AR, AL, MN, RM and so on. The order of initials reads like a genealogical tree. Each log was marked with a set of initials. Tides and ocean currents were studied, and the logs floated at the right time, calculating perfectly their time of coming ashore in the distant Coromandel coast of South India. These logs, washed ashore, would await the appropriate families who would collect the same, for use in construction. The Chettiars wanted no less than the best for their dream homes. The teak was then carved into beautiful doors, ceilings, columns, pillars and furniture.

Native carpenters, who began to acquire a high degree of skill, copied Oriental as well as Western patterns to perfection. Verandahs were decorated with glossy Italian ceramic tiles, in brilliant colours and patterns. More ornate homes even sported them on the ceilings. Peacocks, the lotus, roses, all as motifs graced these tiles. Today, these tiles are fixed on tabletops, and are rare to come by. The interior walls were finished with a mixture of eggs and lime, resulting in a smooth finish, which came to be called "Chettinad plaster". The terracotta tiled roofs ensured a cool ambience and perfect draining of storm water, which would then flow out to the fields beyond, through a system of channels. Stucco artists and sculptors were employed to doll up the facades of these fantastic homes. Life-size figures would dominate the parapets. Gods, in various benevolent poses, ensured the well-being of the occupants.

... and another perspective of the splendour

Chettinad Palace, home of the royal Alagappa Chettiar family, is a landmark, built in 1912. The palace has stained glass, tiles, teak and granite pillars, all imported, and is a grand vision of space and symmetry, an absolute showpiece. With lovely wrought iron grill work decorating the gates and gracious spiral staircases at each end of the forecourt, the palace is maintained at any given time, for royal visits. Visitors are shown over the place courteously, and popular films too have been shot here. Fine bargains can be had in Karaikudi — for antique furniture, artifacts, woodcarvings, old paintings and prints. Old imported enamel kitchenware make kitsch drawing room decoratives, as do large pickle jars. Brass cooking vessels, large urulis and urns have long become status symbols in posh drawing rooms, and hotel lobbies, a symbol of bygone opulence. Of course, today these command fancy prices, over two decades ago they were bought at throwaway prices based on their weight. Old toys, light fixtures, old music records, gramophones — are all there. Old objects are difficult to come by, though dealers do manage to come up with beauties every now and then.

Devout, the Chettiars have contributed in a big way towards temple building — the region is dotted with many huge temples at Ariyakudi, Pudukottai and Avudayarkoil. They also ensured their place in posterity, by placing statues of themselves within the temple precincts, as doyens of religion.

A tourist attraction could also be attending a Chettinad wedding, a grand affair generally conducted within the family. Huge feasts are a must — a lavish breakfast and a sumptuous lunch are served with great attention to all the guests, raising hospitality to great heights, a tradition followed faithfully.

Chettinad cuisine is delightful, and matches the hospitality — the softest idlis imaginable, an array of tongue-tickling chutneys, two types of sambhar, spicy vadais made with banana flower or beetroot, halwas made of carrot, beetroot or kavani arisi (red rice), paniharams, aapams and lipsmacking non-vegetarian specialities like pepper chicken, mutton uppukari, and meen kozhambu. Spices from the East like pepper, clove, saffron, saunf and cinnamon found place along with the trademark freshly ground ginger and garlic paste.

Weaving cotton saris has long been an occupation here. Today a few entrepreneurs have undertaken to preserve traditional designs, and have given new life to it by mixing silk with cotton, giving the Chettinad sari designer status. Showrooms for the hand-woven cotton saris exist in old buildings, and prices are reasonable.

Chettinad old jewellery too is much sought after. Pure gold ornaments have strange futuristic designs. Heavy earrings and huge pendants were worn by the aachi, in full resplendence. Even her thaali was unique, weighing at least 80 sovereigns, with various embellishments. Today these dismantled pieces are each individual pendants, and are a collectors' item. Diamond necklaces in various patterns were an essential part of a woman's ornamental repetoire, with names like poocharam given to patterns.

Gold set with Rangoon diamonds, Burmese blood rubies, Ceylon sapphires and emeralds, South African diamonds — were all a part of a Chetty woman's dowry, gems brought from overseas by the Chettiar. All these today are in the market as part of antique buys from Chettinad.

Handmade Athangudi tiles...

Everything seems hyped in this region, acquiring a larger-than-life quality.

It's a tourist paradise with a difference, and one which certainly cannot be missed. The once dry region has become quite green in parts, with fruit orchards flourishing, aided by borewells. A stray thundershower adds to the charm of the place, churning up the red mud, and filling up the temple tanks. One comes away enriched in mind and tummy, though much depleted in pocket. Overawed by the mansions, one is easily wooed by Chettinad's many beauteous things, a place of rare charm, a must visit destination.

Fact file

Karaikudi, the main town in Chettinad, is 80 kilometres away from Madurai, which in turn is 1½ hour drive away. Chettinad also has its own small railway station.