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RICH & ARTISTIC: The houses in Chettinad were invariably large with three to four courtyards

Of course, given our space constraints, building a house on the lines of Chettinad may be totally impractical. But the clever handling of architecture by the Chettiars to beat the heat and the practical yet picturesque interiors are certainly worth noting.

The houses in Chettinad were invariably large with three to four courtyards. While most were single storeyed, the rich opted for double-storeyed structures.

A common Nattukottai Chettiar’s house greets you with a thinnai or a platform at the entrance where male guests are received and also male members of the house relax.

The front door is elaborately carved, usually depicting the deity Gajalakshmi and a kumbam with leaves.

As you enter the house, the first thing that strikes you is the alignment of the courtyards in a straight line, giving you an unhindered view of the backdoor.

The courtyards are flanked by pillared corridors that lead to rooms.

Since these courtyards are open to sky light and the corridors are not, you can see the play of light, where the corridors are darker while the courtyards brightly lit.

The open courtyards enable plenty of air circulation into the rooms.

Says Architect Dinesh Verma of Ace Group, “The open courtyards served as very practical drying areas besides giving plenty of light while the rooms inside remained in cool shadow.” On either side of the thinnai are housed the granaries and the accountant’s room. This area also leads to the men’s well. The first courtyard has rooms for couples while the second accommodates the dining space. The third is assigned exclusively for the women while the fourth attends to the kitchen and utility sections.

The Chettinad houses have high ceilings and the ones which have a second storey feature double ceiling height in the main hall.

The walls also incorporate clear storey lighting where large ventilators are situated closer to the ceiling.

“The high ceiling and large ventilators along with the open courtyards ensured cool interiors, proving an eco-friendly way of beating the extreme heat conditions,” adds Verma.

The walls too are extremely thick ranging from one-and-a-half to three feet, thus effectively keeping the heat out. The walls are covered with a special plaster made from lime, egg yolk and a secret recipe made from roots.

This keeps the walls silken smooth, washable and cool to touch.

The flooring is usually the locally available Athangudi tiles. The tiles are bright coloured with conventional floral designs.

Made from the locally available sand, these are again very cool on the feet.

The pillars are usually made of Burma teak and sport detailing on top. While elaborate detailing occurs on the ends, the pillars as such are left plain and smooth.

Sometimes the pillars are made of stone or metal but Burma teak is more common.

The ceiling too features elaborate engravings. While the windows and doors come with intricate carvings, in some houses, the walls and wooden panels feature scenes from the epics Mahabaratha and Ramayana.

A point to be noted here is, while there is strong inter-play of colours on floor tiles, in the elaborate carvings and depictions on the pillars and ceiling, the walls are plain with neutral colours.

This contrasts and further accentuates the carvings and strong colours on display.

Says Verma, “The Chettinad houses uniformly display wealth as well as items brought from extensive travel.”

A dresser adorned with an African elephant’s tusks or mirrors made in Belgium, floors flaunting Italian marble will not be out of place.

Even the carvings depict not just Hindu mythologies but incorporate Victorian images and scenes from the Raj, indicating an influence of the then prevailing British rule.

While it is not practical to incorporate the Chettinad style of architecture in totality into the present day lifestyle, certain aspects can be used and modified to suit current requirements. However, this would be possible only in a large house, certainly not in a small apartment.

To begin with, the elaborate pillar concept can be used, especially if the house features a courtyard.

The courtyard can be left open or feature a water body. But the pillars would essentially lend the Chettinad style, with carvings on top.

The dining area could open on to this courtyard or even feature in this courtyard and the pillars could support a corridor that runs around this courtyard.

Rooms, as in the Chettinad houses, can feature around this courtyard.

Again, if the living room is large and the house is double storeyed, there could be a double ceiling with clear storey lighting featured.

The large living room again can sport pillars and corridors on the sides to give the authentic Chettinad feel.

As for flooring, the Athangudi tiles lend a wonderful ethnic touch to the décor.

The flooring too can feature a contrast, with the central area sporting marble while the corridors use Athangudi tiles. In fact, this kind of blending is very much evident in the original Chettinad houses.

While too much detailing and strong colours can prove to be an eye sore in a modern day set-up, incorporating elaborate carvings on doors, especially the front door, is a good idea.

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