Chettinad

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Property in Chettinad

Chettinad (also Chettinadu , Tamil : செட்டிநாடு Ceṭṭināṭu [ ˈtʃeʈːinɑːɖɯ ] "Chetti Land") is a region in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu . It is located in the Sivaganga district in the south of the state around the city of Karaikkudi . Home to the Nattukottai Chettiar merchant caste, Chettinad is known for its rich architectural and cultural heritage.

architecture

Courtyard of a Chettinad estate

The Nattukottai Chettiar or Nagarathar community from the Chettinad region made considerable wealth as a trader in Southeast Asia during the British colonial period in the 19th century . In their hometowns, the Chettiar dealers used the newly acquired money to build opulent properties. Thus a regional architectural tradition of its own developed, which is characterized by the combination of traditional Tamil and European architectural elements and the inclusion of luxurious imported building materials such as teak from Burma or marble from Italy . Many of these properties can be found in the town of Karaikkudi, but also in smaller towns such as Kanadukathan , where the Palace of the Rajas of Chettinad (an honorary title given by the British to an influential family of traders) is a particularly opulent example of this architectural style. After many of the old houses had in the meantime fallen into disrepair because their owners could no longer pay for the maintenance, there are now increasing attempts in Chettinad to invest in tourism in order to preserve the cultural heritage. In the course of this development, many of the Chettinad properties are being refurbished and converted into luxury hotels.

kitchen

A Chettinad meal served on a banana leaf

In addition to its architecture, the Chettinad region is known for its culinary tradition. A particularly tasty variant of Tamil cuisine is cultivated in the region. The Chettinad cuisine is particularly characterized by its meat dishes, while the Tamil cuisine is otherwise predominantly vegetarian . The most famous dish in Chettinad cuisine is Chicken Chettinad , a spicy chicken curry . So-called Chettinad restaurants, which specialize in non-vegetarian food, can be found all over Tamil Nadu.

literature

  • Subbiah Muthiah, Meenakshi Meyappan, Visalakshi Ramaswamy: The Chettiar heritage. Chennai 2000.

Web links

Commons : Chettinad  - collection of images, videos and audio files