The Week India - July 29, 2018

JULY 29, 2018 • THE WEEK 79

I pottered around the villages on foot and

every lane burst into colourful facades as some

of these palaces occupied the entire stretch,

starting at the beginning of an alley and ending

in another.

Some of these homes inspire a curious mix of

awe and melancholy. Th e clinking of bangles, the

laughter of the women and the running of feet

of children have been silenced by the passage

of time. Memories framed as family portraits

adorned the walls, and some had priceless

treasures like old utensils or oil wick lamps. I was

particularly impressed with a framed certifi cate

from the British government acknowledging that

the Chettiyars had funded a part of World War I

in 1917.

Th e rooms and courtyards of the homes were

like a maze connected with narrow passages. I

was lost in the sheer number of store rooms. Th e

caretakers told me that while they could house

over a thousand people, they were used to store

silver and copper utensils given as dowry during

marriages.

We continued our road trip and stopped at

Kanadukathan, where the Raja of Chettinadu

stayed in his private palace. Th e temple bells

were ringing as a woman pedalled past me

in her bicycle. An edifi ce in white, the palace

glittered in the light. We were not allowed inside

but I headed to Kottayur to see another piece of

architectural marvel—the Chettiyar Palace. Th e

caretaker told me that it was soon to be convert-

ed into a museum.

We then drove to Athangudi, known for its

locally manufactured tiles, and searched for

Lakshmi House, a well-maintained palace where

many fi lms have been shot. A morose caretaker

opened the door and I let out a gasp—the pillars,

the fl ooring, the richly-decorated ceiling and the

stained-glass windows were breathtaking.

And, fi nally, I headed to Karaikudi, where

symbols of the past—an old wooden cupboard, a

glittering Tanjore painting, English toys, por-

celain fi gurines, brass lamps and silverware—

converged in an antique market. Every piece of

furniture or cutlery had a story behind it.

Our fi nal halt was at an Ayyanar shrine where,

amid giant terracotta elephants and horses,

stood the guardian deity protecting these homes

long abandoned by their owners. Standing there,

I realised that Chettinadu was not just a region

fi lled with crumbling old homes but also a treas-

ure trove of stories that invoked a glorious past.

the world. When Michel and his partner Bernard Dra-
gan stumbled upon these old homes in various stages
of ruin, they decided to convince one of the merchants
to allow them to restore his house. And, that is how
they breathed life into Saratha Vilas.
Built in the typical Chettinadu style—a fusion of
colonial architecture with Dravidian aesthetics—I
was just spellbound at its sheer opulence. Th e porch,
guarded by columns of dark marble, opened into a
succession of halls and courtyards. Th e central court-
yard was lined with granite pillars while the verandah
led into an expansive hall, where crystal chandeliers
dangled from an ornate roof.
Chettinadu is a colourful mosaic of arts, crafts,
jewellery, culture, architecture and food. Today, there
are hardly any Chettiyars there, but their 30,000 or
so homes, spread across the villages of Pallathur,
Kottayur, Devakottai, Kothamangalam, Kanadukathan
and the capital town of Karaikudi, stand as cultural
symbols of their lives. While most of them are locked
up, with only a caretaker to enjoy their splendour, a
few like Saratha Vilas have been restored and opened
to travellers as hotels.
We drove around, whizzing past temples, markets,
handicraft centres, local tile manufacturing units, lush
fi elds and brimming reservoirs. But it was the palatial
mansions, standing majestic and proud despite being
abandoned, that lured me. Statues of the goddess
Lakshmi adorned the friezes of the mansions while
an occasional one of Queen Victoria peeped from the
wild shrubbery. Soldiers on horseback greeted me as
terracotta horses stood tall.

Place State/UT Adventure

Chettinadu Tamil Nadu Arts, crafts, customs of

Chettiyar community

Bundi Rajasthan Miniature paintings, palaces,

forts, stepwells

Puri Odisha Art and craft village of Ra-

ghurajpur

Fort Kochi Kerala Historic buildings and the

Kochi-Muziris art biennale

White Town Puducherry Indo-French architecture

Kutch Gujarat Cuisine, crafts and nomadic

tribes

Kashmir Jammu &

Kashmir

Lost temples

ART & CULTURE

LOCATIONS