Chettinad Travel Guide

Chettinad Travel Guide

The Chettinad region is in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This is in the extreme southern peninsula of the country and is in the Sivaganga district of the state. This is a place of the Chettiars that are known as a prosperous class of bankers and people that are also successfully engaged in various forms of business and commercial endeavors. This is also the genesis for the famous Chettinad cuisine that is famous for its remarkable flavors.

The place forms an interesting place for travel as well. This is a place for mansions and beautiful temples as is many other places in the southern regions of India. At Chettinad there are some of the finest temples that were built by kings of the Chola dynasty. Here you will also find a distinct feature of each temple having an individual tank of water in the center. This was primarily used for temple uses and considered to be holy. These tanks are called ooranis and are further beautified with flowers like water lilies.

There is the Athmanathaswamy temple that is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Apart from the sculptures and carvings there are mural paintings found here on the walls and the ceiling. These are extremely unique and opulent in their expressions. There are also life size sculptures at the temple.

You can also visit the Chettiar Clan temple that comprises of nine temples of the Chettiar community. These are Velankudi, Soorakudi, Nemam, Vairavanpatti, Ilayathangudi, Iranikoil, Pillaiyarpatti, Illuppakudi and Mathur. There are some of the most beautiful sculptures of Gods and Goddesses apart from a unique style of the architectures used for building the temple.

There is also the temple of Karpagavinayagar. This is a rock cut temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha that is also one of the oldest in the region. You can see this temple in Pillaiyarpatti of Chettinad. If you visit look for the magnificently impressive 6 feet tall image of the presiding God of the temple – Karpaka Vinayakar.  There are several other engraved sculptures and inscriptions in the temple that amek for interesting views.

One of the most interesting parts of your travel plans here could be a trip through the old mansions of Chettinad.  Their grandeur and style will leave you fascinated. You will come across a blend of the use of marble with teak that was procured from Burma. They have an indigenous style of their own with spacious rooms and extensive courtyards and well kept lawns and gardens. The houses and the mansions here also have a style of their architecture that is unique.

Take a trip through the streets of the amazing place called Chettinad and discover several aspects that are otherwise unknown. There is a special weave of Chettinad sarees as also jewelry and other crafts that are truly amazing. 

Last Updated: 29/03/2012