Oh Chettinad. Where do we start?!
Chettinad has been on my list for a very long time. To be honest the biggest thing that put me off was a propeller plane flight - turns out it was absolutely fine, and on the way back we got a stock standard plane. So that said, I wish we had gone sooner.
From Bangalore we flew said plane to Madurai, and from there it was a very easy two hour drive to Chettinad. Easy!
History
Chettinad is the name of the area given to the Chettiar community of money lenders and traders. They founded this community in the 19th Century after there coastal town in Tamil Nadu was wiped out my a tsunami. The Chettiars would spend months at a time trading in South East Asia with other traders from around the world. It was there they discovered the beauty of Italian marble, Burmese teak and Portuguese tiles amongst many other things. They traded with salt and spices and also set up their money lending system abroad - and brought back these materials and created the mansions that are still standing today.
Where we stayed
We stayed in the beautifully restored Chettinad house Visalam, part of the CGH Earth group. The original owner of the house gifted it to his daughter as part of her dowry - and it remains in the family to this day. It has been restored beautifully and the character and charm is felt in every nook and cranny. The food was delicious local Chettinad cuisine and the thalis were amazing. A blessing was also the swimming pool which was situated behind the property with the open air dining area for lunch. Honestly it was perfect for all of us!
What we did
We had three nights here (most people just do two) but we are glad we had the extra night so we could just take the day to enjoy the hotel and local surrounds.
We did a full day tour throughout the villages which is a must do. We visited both abandoned and restored Chettinad mansion which was a highlight. The saddest thing is that most of these mansions have been let go and barely maintained. Most houses have been split up between many members of the families making it a very complicated affair.
We also saw how the famous Athangudi tiles were made. The Chettiars saw beautiful European tiles and south East Asian designs and it appears that they have combined they ideas into a locally made version. Each tile is made by hand with a mix of local sand, cement and pigments. They are true works of art.
Another highlight was the town if Karaikudi. A beautiful bustling traditional South Indian town full of antique shops spruiking the old treasures of the Chettiar traders. I was in absolute heaven and could have bought the lot! Honestly you could find almost anything. The Czechoslovakian enamel wear was the best. I stocked up on storage tins, bowls and pots. I didn't even look at the traditional brass tiffins and chai cups as I knew that would be a slippery slope! It goes without saying but bargaining is a must. The shop we spent most of our time in was Rhagavendra Arts.
Our last stop for the day was the incredible Soundaram snacks. I was not expecting what I saw in the unassuming house. It was bustling with women hand rolling and shaping the most exquisite snacks. My entire carry on luggage was full with ladoos, murujukus, podis and pickles.
The final absolute must of our trip was the early morning bike tours our hotel ran. We left at 6:30am and rode through different villages and finishing up with a vada and local filter coffee. The only way to start the day!
