We were travelling to the small village of Kandavarayanpatti and Alavakottai in Sivagangai district to attend the wedding of our colleague.
I was a bit sceptical when they said the marriage was at their home. Though not surprising, it was uncommon in present days and I was in for a surprise.
The marriage was held in their home and it was indeed splendid!
Their ancestral home was a typical Chettinad house where all the members of the family stayed together. The architecture of the house reminded me of the Naalukettu in my state -Kerala.
The house was buzzing with people and splashed in colour. There were a number of ceremonies as part of the wedding. And there's the bride and groom!!! All smiles !!
While the post-wedding ceremonies proceeded, we stepped out for lunch, which was at a different house. Though the Chettinad houses are mammoth-sized, the streets surrounding them are very narrow.
Chettinad houses generally have the front door opening to one street and the back door opening onto the parallel street behind it.
On the way, we were caught in a drizzle and reached lunch slightly wet. Lunch was a typical vegetarian meal with a number of Chettinad delicacies like vella paniyaram, paal paniyaram etc.
On the way back, we strayed a bit to take a look at the village. Suddenly, one of them shouted, "Hey !! Isn't this the house from the movie "Kandukondein Kandukondein"? ".It did resemble it on first glance. But it wasn't. As we loitered around the house debating on it, the owners of the house watched us from their terrace and invited us in to see the house. The house owners briefed us on the house and showed us around.
According to them, this mansion was built around 1945. And you wouldn't believe it, this palatial house has around 60 rooms !!! And yes each room is numbered. Can't imagine the plight of the caretaker if it wasn't for that!! The rooms are numbered starting with the Pooja room as ''1''.
We were shown into the house through a heavy wooden door with intricate carvings. The door had a special lock system. The key itself was almost 4 inches long and heavy, it needs to be inserted in different ways to lock and unlock the door. If anyone tried to break in, a deafening alarm sounds alerting the household.
The grand hall was a long rectangular one with checkered flooring of 'Athangudi' tiles and painted ceilings which were common characteristics of Chettinad homes. The hall itself was divided into two parts separated by pillars of Burmese wood all along the length, one with a high ceiling and the other with a lower one. The ceilings were decorated and had imported fans and a chandelier. The higher parts of the wall were decorated with stained glass.
The walls looked shiny as if it were washed with glossy paint. When enquired, they explained that all Chettinad homes used a mixture of limestone and eggshells on its inner walls which gave it a natural sheen !!
On the corner stood a wooden shelf which we had dismissed as a normal one. But it was a cabinet which earlier housed a Radio box. Can you believe it, almost 75 yrs back the radio was almost as big as a box and now it's reduced to just a small piece in your cell phone?
The hall opened into the central courtyard which has a system of water harvesting where rainwater flows from the courtyards to an underground tank. The central courtyard is the life of the house where gatherings and weddings are held. It is flanked by bedrooms on both sides. The courtyard then opens into a smaller kitchen courtyard flanked by a long dining area.
We then climbed to the first floor which consisted of a huge hall. And this is my favourite place. The hall is covered with stained glass which is again characteristic of all Chettinad houses. It reminded me of the century-old churches in Europe. The sunlight seeped in through the coloured windows making it all the more beautiful!! I could sit there all day on the long armchair, sipping coffee and reading a book !! <3 <3
In the corner stood a huge cupboard called the 'Metha Bureau'.As the name suggests, it was used to keep the 'metha' or mattress. It had no shelves inside as the pillows and mattresses were just folded and placed inside.
Finally, we moved to the terrace on the second floor. The terrace floor was covered with red tiles. We had a splendid view of the whole village. A typical view from all Chettinad houses !!
And that also ended our tour of the magnificent Chettinad house. We thanked the family and walked back chattering about our exciting experience.
Do not miss a chance to visit a Chettinad mansion if you are around Sivangangai or Pudhukottai.
And if you happen to be in Chennai, you could also visit the Dakshinachitra Heritage Museum to see a replica of a Chettinad house.
PC :Panimalar Shanmugham ,Adheedhan Kumar
The house was buzzing with people and splashed in colour. There were a number of ceremonies as part of the wedding. And there's the bride and groom!!! All smiles !!
While the post-wedding ceremonies proceeded, we stepped out for lunch, which was at a different house. Though the Chettinad houses are mammoth-sized, the streets surrounding them are very narrow.
Chettinad houses generally have the front door opening to one street and the back door opening onto the parallel street behind it.
On the way, we were caught in a drizzle and reached lunch slightly wet. Lunch was a typical vegetarian meal with a number of Chettinad delicacies like vella paniyaram, paal paniyaram etc.
According to them, this mansion was built around 1945. And you wouldn't believe it, this palatial house has around 60 rooms !!! And yes each room is numbered. Can't imagine the plight of the caretaker if it wasn't for that!! The rooms are numbered starting with the Pooja room as ''1''.
We were shown into the house through a heavy wooden door with intricate carvings. The door had a special lock system. The key itself was almost 4 inches long and heavy, it needs to be inserted in different ways to lock and unlock the door. If anyone tried to break in, a deafening alarm sounds alerting the household.
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| The Grand Hall |
The walls looked shiny as if it were washed with glossy paint. When enquired, they explained that all Chettinad homes used a mixture of limestone and eggshells on its inner walls which gave it a natural sheen !!
On the corner stood a wooden shelf which we had dismissed as a normal one. But it was a cabinet which earlier housed a Radio box. Can you believe it, almost 75 yrs back the radio was almost as big as a box and now it's reduced to just a small piece in your cell phone?
 |
| The Central Courtyard |
We then climbed to the first floor which consisted of a huge hall. And this is my favourite place. The hall is covered with stained glass which is again characteristic of all Chettinad houses. It reminded me of the century-old churches in Europe. The sunlight seeped in through the coloured windows making it all the more beautiful!! I could sit there all day on the long armchair, sipping coffee and reading a book !! <3 <3
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| Stained Glass |
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| Metha Bureau |
In the corner stood a huge cupboard called the 'Metha Bureau'.As the name suggests, it was used to keep the 'metha' or mattress. It had no shelves inside as the pillows and mattresses were just folded and placed inside.
Finally, we moved to the terrace on the second floor. The terrace floor was covered with red tiles. We had a splendid view of the whole village. A typical view from all Chettinad houses !!
And that also ended our tour of the magnificent Chettinad house. We thanked the family and walked back chattering about our exciting experience.
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| The Terrace |
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| View from the Terrace |
Do not miss a chance to visit a Chettinad mansion if you are around Sivangangai or Pudhukottai.
And if you happen to be in Chennai, you could also visit the Dakshinachitra Heritage Museum to see a replica of a Chettinad house.
PC :Panimalar Shanmugham ,Adheedhan Kumar
