Where women hold the fort

In the course of a hundred years, Chettinad’s ‘country forts’ became an almost psychedelically vivid collection of palatial dwellings

January 16, 2016 04:15 pm | Updated September 23, 2016 12:47 am IST

The mansions are comparable with the famous havelis of Shekhawat in the arid belt of north Rajasthan.

The mansions are comparable with the famous havelis of Shekhawat in the arid belt of north Rajasthan.

Finally, it’s the women of the Nattukottai Chettiars who have prevailed.

The Achis, as they are known, have been the custodians of the way of life of this uniquely endowed merchant community living in one of the most arid regions of South Eastern Tamil Nadu.

When their men started their voyages across the seas to the countries of South Asia they left their families behind in what were known as ‘country forts’ or nattukottai . As their business prospered, so did the country forts. In the course of a 100 or so years, they became the almost psychedelically vivid collection of palatial dwellings that form the subject of Mansions of Chettinad.

The comparison that one tends to make is with the havelis of Shekhawat, an arid region of Northern Rajasthan that created the dynamic community of Marwari businessmen. These too are inward looking mansions with extraordinary artistic embellishments. The style is however very different. Where the Havelis used artists to paint their interiors, here it is the skill of the wood carver, the stone mason and the eventually the use of European tiles, glass and Art Deco style of architecture.

Nine different branches of the larger community formed a conglomerate of loosely linked villages. Each of these pods were focused around a Shiva temple and a magnificently constructed water tank, or reservoir that may still be seen by the visitor who travels down towards the mysterious territory now known as Chettinad. As George Michell, the architectural historian who has written extensively about the art and architectural history of the sub-continent observes, though the temples are all dedicated to Shiva, a male god in a male dominated society, its Laskhmi with her benign feminine presence who is most often seen decorating the entrance to many of these mansions. She is the bindu that pulls all the diverse architectural elements together.

As described by Meenakshi Meyappan in her role as publisher, her memories are of the living spaces in what we now regard as curiosities; or at best living museums.

Geeta Doctor

Meyappan has been instrumental in creating a brand called ‘Chettinad’, or at least redefining it for today’s global hunter-gatherer of rare experiences. By inviting people to visit ‘The Bangala’, a boutique hotel at Karaikudi, she re-invented the original grandeur of the Nattukottai Chettiars in a comfortable format. The first book, The Chettiar Heritage (2000), documented the different facets of the history, culture and lifestyle of the community. It was written by S. Muthiah, the historian, Meenakshi Meyappan and Visalakshi Ramaswamy, who has been instrumental in reviving the crafts of the region. The second book on Chettinad recipes is a collector’s item.

The current book is a monumental record of the architectural history of the houses. It’s both intimate and exacting in its examination of the various diverse influences, styles and extraordinary use of materials that has created the mansions. If Michell excels in his exposition of the architecture felicities, he is ably assisted by the visual brilliance of Bharath Ramamrutham’s photographs. The text is in both English and French.

Geeta Doctor is a Chennai-based writer and critic.

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