A glimpse into the Mansions Of Chettinad

THE MANSIONS OF CHETTINAD

Photography: Bharath Ramamrutham

Text: George Michell

 Chettinad is a region of Tamil Nadu, located midway between Tiruchirapalli and Thanjavur and Madurai, dotted with numerous grandly scaled mansions. These magnificently appointed residences contrast markedly with the modest towns and villages in which they are set, and the strikingly arid appearance of the surrounding landscape. The builders of these imposing houses belong to the Chettiar community, members of which migrated to Madras and Burma and Malaya in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, where they were enormously successful in trading and banking ventures. Returning temporarily to their ancestral homeland to celebrate private family functions such as weddings, the Chettiars sponsored great mansions, though these were never intended as permanent residences. Karaikuddi, Kanadukatan and Devakottai are among the larger towns of Chettinad where such houses were built, but they are also found in nearby smaller settlements. While from the outside these houses usually present imposing European styled facades, exuberantly decorated with stucco, their interiors conform to traditional Tamil domestic architecture, with sequences of verandahs and courtyards lined with colonnades and sheltered by sloping tiled roofs. The carved wooden columns and doors, often fashioned from the teak that the Chettiars imported from Burma, showcased local virtuoso workmanship. In spite of these exceptional architectural features and artistic qualities, the houses of the Chettiars have never been adequately studied and published. The book proposed here will be the first to offer a comprehensive survey of Chettinad’s mansions, giving their historical and social context, and explaining and illustrating their inventive design, construction and decoration.

Many of Chettinad’s mansions are still in private hands, and are beautifully maintained in readiness for occasional visits by their owners, but are not generally open to the public. The photographer and author will be able to arrange special access to a selection of these private properties, and thus will be able to draw attention to several remarkable domestic interiors. A few houses have been converted into hotels and are now attracting visitors eager to learn about Chettinad’s cultural and artistic traditions. Sadly, an increasing number of mansions have been dismantled, or have fallen into disrepair and are about to be demolished in order to salvage their valuable wooden portions. Hopefully this book will draw attention to the social, architectural and artistic values of these houses, and help bring to a halt the destruction of this unique heritage.