Through the Cultural Relics of Chettinad.
My life gets enriched by different sceneries and experiences as my tours continue, infinite number of places and views that do not end in a lifetime. The variety in views and events play motivating factors for the never-ending travel. Ancient people built houses for safety and protection. This changed later and with the concept of making houses more beautiful and luxurious, various techniques started to be used in constructing houses and palaces. Those constructions that survived time came to be preserved and maintained as structures that provide knowledge as well as amazement to the new generation. One among these is the Chettinad Palace which stands outside Karaikudi City, the best example of Chettinad architectural style. The distance from the village of Athangudi in Sivaganga District of Tamil Nadu to this place is 80 km. The Athangudi Village is famous for floor tiles called Athangudi floor tiles. These tiles are more attractive and stronger than what are available today and are manufactured manually. They are made very charming with traditional designs.
Chettinad is a totally different place and offers totally different views than what we normally come across in Tamil Nadu. Chettinad comprises of 74 villages of Nattukottai Chettiars called Nagarathar. Chettinad consists of palatial houses built by the Chettiars who travelled to different foreign countries for trade and became extremely rich. Today, these buildings are a remarkable visual experience. Chettiars used to live as joint families, and therefore, magnificent buildings with hundreds of rooms are a specialty of this place. As years passed by, the glory of Chettinad culture declined. Many of them started to sell their residences due to financial difficulties. Some of the houses are now turned into resorts. Among them, the major attraction is Chettinad Palace which is 110 years old. This royal residence, also known as Kanadukathan Maharaja’s Palace, is the most prominent example of Chettinad style of architecture. The Chettiar Palace, which is known as the Chettiar Mansion, is in Kanadukathan, a panchayat in Karaikudi Taluk of Tamil Nadu. Historically speaking, this was Chettinad Raja’s house.
The palace was built by Dr. Annamalai Chettiar. It took 10 years from 1902 to complete its construction. The buildings at Chettinad display a unique combination of architectural expertise, tradition, and art. The rooms of the palace are embellished with Burmese Teak trees. The ornamentations of the mansion have been imported from different European and East Asian Countries. The lanterns, furniture made from teak wood, marble, mirrors, carpets, crystals all of them were brought in from abroad. However, the variety in artistic styles of these is distinguishable. The construction of the palace has been done in such a way as to preserve the traditional style of the Chettiars. The Chettinad Palace still stands as an outstanding example of the rich cultural heritage of the people of Chettinad and is considered as one of the 7 wonders of India. This mansion can accommodate around 250 people at a time. Chettinad, where hundreds of affluent people lived in palatial mansions centuries ago, is now occupied by ordinary houses and ordinary people, offering a completely different sight.
