By Ausmita
An overnight develop from Chennai brought us to Chettinad. Hopping off, nosotros noticed that exclusively iv or 5 other people had alighted there.
The identify nosotros were supposed to remain at, had called us dorsum the previous eve to inquire how nosotros planned to larn to Kanadukathan (our concluding destination) from the railway station. I had answered nonchalantly that nosotros volition merely get got an auto or a taxi (like nosotros produce everywhere else duh!). The mortal at the other goal had dismissed this alongside an amused note together with went on to say that he volition post an auto to fetch us from the station. I had idea this to go unnecessary but finally agreed to the humble selection upwards arrangement.
Stepping out of the station at nowadays nether the slanting rays of the ascent sun, nosotros realized how naïve nosotros were to assume nosotros could exactly sashay out of Chettinad station together with hitch an auto to larn to our destination. There were exclusively 2 autos together with a individual vehicle waiting exterior the station which appeared to get got been booked inwards advance past times the other travellers.
The 15 minutes journeying from Chettinad railway station to the heritage hamlet of Kanadukathan was a bumpy one. As the auto rickshaw piece of cake made its agency through what was left of the road, nosotros passed crumbling boundary walls together with regal gates of what mightiness get got been grand estates at i time, at nowadays lost to wilderness. It was the tales of these grand estates together with palaces that had brought us to Chettinad.
The Chettinad region; synonymous alongside spicy aromatic nutrient prepared from freshly terra firma masalas; originally consisted of near 96 villages spread over an surface area of 600-1500 sq mile inwards the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. It is this that Chettiars, a prosperous banking together with concern community of South India, claim as their traditional home. The Chettiars were successful maritime traders who became immensely prosperous past times trading inwards common salt together with rice inwards the South East Asia, particularly Burma. Unofficial figures position the total position out of these palaces inwards Chettinad, each roofing 30,000 to 40,000 sq feet surface area at 11,000.
Fuelled past times the handsome returns from maritime trade, the Chettiars left no expenses spared inwards opulently decking upwards their palaces alongside Italian Marble, Burmese Teak, Belgian glass, intricate atomic position out 26 grills, ornate carvings together with colourful Athangudi tiles indigenous to the region. However, the Japanese trouble of Burma during the Second World War was a blow to their business. Unable to repatriate their wealth, most suffered terrible loses. The guide touching on of this was felt on the maintenance together with upkeep of their mansions.
The Sun was high inwards the heaven when nosotros finally managed to footstep out for the tour of the village. Home to near seventy Chettiar mansions, Kanadukathan is a virtual ghost town alongside most Chettiar families having migrated abroad or to i or the other major urban core of Bharat over a menstruation of time. Even inwards broad daylight, the streets of Kanadukathan fortified past times the high walls of the mansions on either side were practically empty except for a stray bicycle or a hunched quondam human being piece of cake walking past. Most palaces are inwards diverse stages of disrepair. However, the few that are nonetheless painstakingly maintained past times respective families are a living will to the grandeur of the past.
Our get-go stop, a regal whitewashed mansion alongside brilliant colours accentuating the edges together with windows, suitably called the Rajah’s palace. The exclusively opening inwards its high chemical compound wall, an every bit high grill gate was latched from inside. We peered inside. H5N1 curt distance away, a guard was perched on a stool adjacent to an enormous wooden double door. I position upwards a smile face, stepped upwards to the gate together with yelled out inwards faltering Tamil, “Anna, Veedu pakhre” together with hoped that he understood that nosotros wanted to get got a await at the mansion. Evidently he had come upwards across several such “curious cutlets” inwards his days of perching exterior that door. He replied almost reflexively, “No. No. Close aaich.”
We moved on to displace our luck at the adjacent imposing mansion but were met alongside the same response till nosotros wandered into Chettinadu Mansion, a heritage hotel. The owner, a genial elderly gentleman was lounging inwards the i of blueish sofas inwards the grandiose reception hall alongside a chequered flooring together with white arches supported past times enormous dark marble pillars. He saw us as nosotros were climbing upwards the stairs of the porch together with gestured us to come upwards inside. Elated, nosotros stepped in. He was as curious near us, as nosotros were near him together with his house. After taking us through the history of Chettinad together with Chettinadu Mansion, he gave us a gratis manus to wander through the opened upwards sections of the house.
We were awestruck. Beyond the Reception Hall, also known as “marriage hall”, was a serial of successive courtyards connected past times doors that lined upwards at i time from the entrance to the dorsum of the house. Each courtyard was surrounded past times broad verandas together with rooms on all iv sides. The get-go courtyard had bedrooms or individual living quarters of the identify unit of measurement members spread across 2 floors. The doors were intricately carved alongside figures of gods, goddesses together with apsaras. The verandah on the upper flooring was surrounded past times ornate blueish together with white wrought atomic position out 26 grills. The adjacent courtyard, meant for dining purposes was simpler together with the in conclusion courtyard had shop rooms together with kitchen. Next twenty-four hr menstruation nosotros visited a few to a greater extent than mansions. What struck us most was that all houses, despite their similar layout, had their ain unique architecture together with décor. In fact, sometimes the décor together with the materials used alter from courtyard to courtyard inwards the same business solid as a result of continued structure over several years together with generations.
Each business solid inwards Kanadukathan is a veritable portal into the golden historic menstruation of Chettiars together with their exploits all over the world. We returned alongside a photographic telly camera total of memories. Our exclusively lament is that these portals are apace shutting downwards together with before long Chettinad together with its palaces volition belike exclusively be inwards hearsay.
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