A grand entrance, big palace, huge statues, decorated staircases leading to heaven, elaborate mirror work, stories of floors, elaborate chandeliers, display of jewels and jewelry, museum of history - if you are expecting all this, you are at the wrong place. Chettinad Palace at Kanadakathan is nothing of this sort. It is a palace that connects you with nature, with tradition, with family and yourself.
When you look at other palaces, you know that those are meant for the rich and you can but only dream of living in such palaces. But when you look at this palace, it is so attainable. It feels like home and not just a house.
The Chettinad palace reminds me of Raj Kapoor sing from the Hindi movie, 'Awara' - Mera Jootha hai Japani. And just like the song, the palace has masterpieces from around the world, a tea table from China, African elephant tusk, etc, but the palace still retains the spirit of Tamil Nadu.
It is regal, yet down to earth; it is international, yet very Indian. While the rest of India is getting hitched to international styles of architecture and interiors, the Chettinad palace, gives us a taste of what symbolizes “Tamil”.
The cool Aathangudi tiles, the massive thinnai, numerous mittams gives the city bread a glimpse of what life is when people live together.
As you enter the palace, you are introduced to massive thinnai on both the sides of the entrance. And my first instinct is … sit there. I so wished i had got my set of traditional south Indian games - Palalnguzhi or dayakattam, and call everyone for a turn.
The next room is the guest room which houses huge portraits of all the family members. Huge sofas to seat all the important people is placed here. The entrance leading to this room and the next are massive framed wooden doors with intricate carvings on top of it.
Further inside, we are led to another thinnai leading to a gorgeous ‘mittam’ - a courtyard open to the sky. The line of splendidly painted pillars make us want to play hide and seek there. Now, my instinct says, run around the pillars and play ‘catch’.
Each side of these pillars are many rooms that are used as storage. There are rooms in the floor above these as well. One can see what is happening in the mittam from the first floor as well (though the whole of first floor is not open to anyone except the family members).
Further in, we are led to an empty room where the women generally congregate. The men are not come to this room. In olden days, this room was used as a dressing room / feeding room etc.
Proceeding further, this room leads to another small mittam, from where again, there is access to the rooms in the first floor. From this place we are led to another chamber that has direct access to the garage below. The family generally parked their vehicles in the garage on the side of the building and that led to this room.
Beyond this room is a massive courtyard that radiates earthiness. Terracotta tiles and roofing around this mittam looks picturesque. I want to now just run and run and run around this whole place.
At the far end - left corner of the mittam is the family kitchen. Very beautifully maintained, the family still cooks on the firewood stove. Tall chimneys line right above the stoves.
Back to the mittam, no wonder, this palace is a regular feature in loads of Tamil movies, the most memorable being 'Kandukonden Kandukonden'.
I recommend anyone wanting to have an earthly experience to visit this place
When you look at other palaces, you know that those are meant for the rich and you can but only dream of living in such palaces. But when you look at this palace, it is so attainable. It feels like home and not just a house.
The Chettinad palace reminds me of Raj Kapoor sing from the Hindi movie, 'Awara' - Mera Jootha hai Japani. And just like the song, the palace has masterpieces from around the world, a tea table from China, African elephant tusk, etc, but the palace still retains the spirit of Tamil Nadu.
It is regal, yet down to earth; it is international, yet very Indian. While the rest of India is getting hitched to international styles of architecture and interiors, the Chettinad palace, gives us a taste of what symbolizes “Tamil”.
The cool Aathangudi tiles, the massive thinnai, numerous mittams gives the city bread a glimpse of what life is when people live together.
As you enter the palace, you are introduced to massive thinnai on both the sides of the entrance. And my first instinct is … sit there. I so wished i had got my set of traditional south Indian games - Palalnguzhi or dayakattam, and call everyone for a turn.
The next room is the guest room which houses huge portraits of all the family members. Huge sofas to seat all the important people is placed here. The entrance leading to this room and the next are massive framed wooden doors with intricate carvings on top of it.
Further inside, we are led to another thinnai leading to a gorgeous ‘mittam’ - a courtyard open to the sky. The line of splendidly painted pillars make us want to play hide and seek there. Now, my instinct says, run around the pillars and play ‘catch’.
The First Courtyard
The carvings on the pillars - A beautiful Yazhi
Each side of these pillars are many rooms that are used as storage. There are rooms in the floor above these as well. One can see what is happening in the mittam from the first floor as well (though the whole of first floor is not open to anyone except the family members).
Further in, we are led to an empty room where the women generally congregate. The men are not come to this room. In olden days, this room was used as a dressing room / feeding room etc.
Proceeding further, this room leads to another small mittam, from where again, there is access to the rooms in the first floor. From this place we are led to another chamber that has direct access to the garage below. The family generally parked their vehicles in the garage on the side of the building and that led to this room.
Beyond this room is a massive courtyard that radiates earthiness. Terracotta tiles and roofing around this mittam looks picturesque. I want to now just run and run and run around this whole place.
At the far end - left corner of the mittam is the family kitchen. Very beautifully maintained, the family still cooks on the firewood stove. Tall chimneys line right above the stoves.
Back to the mittam, no wonder, this palace is a regular feature in loads of Tamil movies, the most memorable being 'Kandukonden Kandukonden'.
I recommend anyone wanting to have an earthly experience to visit this place
Nicely written. Graphic description.
ReplyDeleteNice and descriptive. Well written too.
ReplyDeleteVery vivid description!! I like it!
ReplyDeleteI just travelled to Chettinad yesterday. Thanks to some wonderful writing. Almost saw Awaara ... a audio link there would help old foggies generate nostalgia! So the next one is ...?
ReplyDeleteThe place is encouraging the interests on natural and artistic living dreams of the past...thanks for sharing your real feelings in your writings with no masalas added..
ReplyDelete