Chettinadu Houses: Reminiscence of the Prosperous Nattukottai Chettiyars
When I think of vernacular architecture of my state Tamil Nadu, the first thing that comes to my mind are the magnificent Chettinad houses . They immediately caught my eye when I visited Karaikudi , which is well known for housing a large number of these traditional houses. The layout of these old homes hold nostalgia for many people including my own mother with the large open courtyards, red oxide floors and tiled terraces. Chettinad is actually a region of Tamil Nadu almost 90km from Madurai and 150 km from Tanjore. It consists of a cluster of some 80 plus villages. And its main town, which can be considered as its “capital” is Karaikudi. The “Nattukottai Chettiyars” occupied these villages. Nattukottai Chettiars (Nagarathar) belonged to a high-ranking banking and businessmen community. They traded overseas following the expansion of the British Empire and amassed wealth which was poured into the houses they built, some luxurious enough to be called palaces . A...
