What Remains Of The Day: Inside The Palatial Chettiar Mansions Of Chettinad

There are many places in the world where time seems to stand still. When you enter these places, the flow of time slows down to an almost imperceptible trickle. It's almost magic when it happens — the beat of life coincides with the chords of a song you can't get out of your head, and all of a sudden, you're overwhelmed with a sense of joy and wonder. You can't stop smiling like a child. Chettinad — spread over the present-day Sivaganga and Pudukottai districts of Tamil Nadu — is one of these places.

The name Chettinad (or Chettinadu in Tamil) means "land of the Chettiars". Originally a community of maritime traders from ancient and mythical Naganadu (variously identified as coastal Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, or Sri Lanka), the Nattukottai Chettiars settled in the Chettinad region, then part of the Chola kingdom between 10th and 12th centuries CE. Almost all present-day Chettiars can trace their roots to the 96 settlements spread over an area of 1,550 square kilometres that originally made up Chettinad.

Historically, the Chettiars were sea-faring merchants and maritime traders who dealt in goods like precious stones, wood, spices, and essential oils across south-east Asia from Burma (present-day Myanmar) to Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka), but over time they became known as bankers and lenders to South India's Chola and Pandya kings.

In the colonial period, many prominent Chettiar money-lenders were involved in financing the British East India Company's operation in south and south-east Asia, and their wealth and influence grew exponentially in tandem with the expansion of British colonial rule in the region. In the early 19th century, many Chettiar men emigrated from India to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Burma (now Myanmar), and Malaya (now Malaysia and Singapore) to further expand their money-lending business.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this growth in Chettiar wealth and influence translated to a new wave of residential mansions in Chettinad. Between 1850 and the end of World War II, the Nattukottai Chettiars built over 10,000 palatial mansions in the region. These massive, magnificent mansions, built over several thousand square feet of surface area, were made to accommodate the large joint families of the time, and often had as many as 50 rooms which could house up to 100 residents at a time.

Drawing from diverse influences like the Indo-Saracenic architecture of early British India, European mansions and estate houses, and east Asian wooden pagodas and palaces, these Chettiar mansions combined — sometimes seamlessly, and sometimes not so seamlessly — distinctive architectural features like the open courtyards, carved wooden columns and frames, and raised verandas (thinnai) of traditional Tamil homes; marble floors, stained glass windows, and gothic façades of European mansions and estate houses; and stucco-work idols and icons of Hindu religious figures like Gajalakshmi — one of the eight representations of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, associated with wealth and prosperity.

To furnish these luxurious mansions, the Chettiars sourced precious materials from all over the world like teak-wood from Burma; satin-wood from Ceylon; marble from Italy; crystal glass chandeliers from Morocco; stained glass windows from Belgium; and ceramic tiles from Bombay, Japan, Germany, France, and China.

Additionally, the Chettiars also patronised local craft traditions like the handmade Athangudi tiles of Tamil Nadu. Named after their place of origin, these tiles are made from a mixture of local, laterite-rich soil and sand, and feature a diverse range of geometric and floral motifs and patterns in shades of blue, green, red and grey. Since they are prepared on a glass plate, they have a smooth and glossy finish.

As with all things, the glory days of Chettiars, too, had to end at some point. For the Chettiars, who had so ostensibly tied their fate to the fate of the British Empire, this end came with the end of World War II. As the sun set on the British Empire in Asia, the fortunes of the Chettiars dwindled and these magnificent mansions fell into disuse and disrepair. Today, most of these once-opulent mansions lie abandoned and empty.

Not all is lost, however. In recent years, some of these mansions have been converted into heritage hotels and home-stays like the CGH Visalam and the Chidambara Vilas that offer visitors an opportunity to relive and experience the halcyon days of Chettiar grandeur.

How To Get There:

By Air: The nearest major airport to Chettinad is Madurai International Airport (IXM) in Tamil Nadu, approximately 90 kilometres from Chettinad. Cabs and public transportation from Madurai to Chettinad is available from near the airport.

By Train: Chettinad is well-connected by rail. The nearest railway station is Chettinad Railway Station (CDMR), and regular trains from all major railway junctions in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states provide convenient and affordable access to Chettinad by rail.

By Road: Chettinad has good road connectivity, and one can reach the region by road from various cities in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states. Karaikudi, the largest town in Chettinad, serves as a major transportation hub and state-run buses, private taxis, and rental cars are available here.

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