Chettinadu is a place that enchants and enhances the soul. Chettinad is the homeland of the Nattukottai Chettiars called the Nagarathars, are a prosperous banking and business community. It is a tourist’s paradise with a difference, and one which certainly cannot be missed by the discerning tourist. A stray thundershower adds to the charm of the place, churning up the red soil, and filling up the temple tanks. The palatial mansions, makes Chettinad a place of rare charm, and a must visit destination.
Chettinad is well known for its Chettinad cuisine, Mansions, and Temples.
Chettinad is rich in cultural heritage, art and architecture, and is well known for its houses, embellished with marble and Burma teak, wide courtyards, spacious rooms, and for its 18th century mansions. The grandly and wonderfully embellished houses were created reflect the prosperity of the Nagarathar community. The basic design comprises of a “thinnai” which is an enclosed courtyard and this is surrounded by family rooms. The walls are smooth and are made of special plaster. The architectural structure of a typical Chettiar home is a study in how a human dwelling can be constructed in harmony with nature. High ceilings, airy and well ventilated, the house has one courtyard near the entrance leads to the imposing main door, usually made of wood with extraordinarily intricate carvings of mythological.
Athangudi Tiles
A Superb hand made product made in the nearby village of Atangudi. It was sand, local water cement and Pigments. Its patterns are simple unique and tiles floor very cool to walk on.
Sittanvasal
Rock Cut Cave Jaina Temple or Arivar Koil at Sithanavasal was excavated in the early Panday Period (7th or 8th Century AD).The Cave Temple is facing West and it consists of a square Garbagriha and a rectangular Mukhamandapa. The rear wall of the Garbagriha contain bas-relief figures of Jaina Tirthankaras in Aeena-Mudra (Seated Posture).The cave temple is decorated with mural paintings made of vegetable colours. The ceiling of the Mukhamandapa has depiction of a lotus tank with realistic figures of men,animals,flowers,birds and fishes. It recalls the Samavasarana faith in Jainism. The façade of the pillars shows the dancing girl,the King and the Queen. These paintings represent the typical early painting tradition of the South and comparable with that of Ajantha. An inscription on a rock records that the renovation work was carried out to the Garbagriha and additional of a structural Mandapa during the time of theearly Pandya King Sri Vallabha (AD 815-862) by certain Ilangautaman alias Madurai Asiriyar.The Cave is cut in such an acoustic way to give a special atmosphere for meditation.If you murmer Ohm,you will hear the echo waves spread all over your body.Its just an amazing experience.
There is a vast burial ground on the way back to the main road where one can see a number of megalythic cist burials dates back 3000 years old. This is an amazing scene as one can believe the ancient system of burials and second burials in the form of memorials to the forefathers. The Cist burials are nicely decorated and kept undisturbed even after these many years.
