• French designer-architects Bernard Dragon and Michel Adment’s history with India goes back to 1994, when they collaborated with Kerala artisans to create the furniture line, Gondwana. A decade later, a book on the past glories of the Chettiars, which they found in a dusty antique store, led them to Karaikudi with its palatial mansions. Today, the duo runs Saratha Vilas, a restored early 20th century mansion. Here they give us their alternative tourist guide for the inveterate traveller:
  • * The region is synonymous with mansions and, as architects, we have strong opinions about the best ones to visit. We recommend two lesser-known ones. The VVRM house in Kanadukattan is built in the early palatial style of the 1870s, with double columns, façades and multilevel construction, showcasing the beginnings of Chettiar wealth. On the same street is the CV Rm CT House, built at the height of Chettiar prosperity in the 1910s, with wooden ceilings, Italian marble, and tiles from Japan.
  • * To see the evolution of the region’s architecture, take a walk in the village of Pallathur. As you climb up the sloped terrain, you will see the houses becoming more modern, revealing a mix of Tamil culture and Western influence, like Belgian murals and chandeliers.
  • * The Karaikudi antique market (Muneeswaram Kovil Street) is a tourist staple, but we enjoy strolling through the Kallukatti Main Bazaar (Koppudai Amman temple area). Featuring a host of artisans, you can find jewellery, metal work and traditional woodwork here. It is a reliable source of authentic craft.
  • * Workshops of Chettinad’s famous Athangudi tiles — inspired by the early 20th century mosaic tiles made in Maastricht, Netherlands — are everywhere. Try your hand at making them at Sri Ganapathy Tiles (Athangudi road), the first workshop to start producing the colourful glazed cement tiles in the 1950s. All the rooms at Saratha Vilas are laid with tiles from them.
  • * Stop by the chariot makers (Pallathur road, next to Sathiyan Theatre) to admire their meticulous work, and also make time to observe the artisans at the Bronze Workshop (Palanivel East Street, Ariyakudi) firing their pieces.
  • As told to Sindhuri Nandhakumar