Chettinad Houses
The Chettiar's main intent was to make his house a statement of his social success and he put everything into it. Chettinad houses are built on a rectangular, traversal plot that stretches across two streets, with the front door opening into the first street and the back into the second. Looking in from the main threshold, your eye travels in a straight line across a series of inner courtyards, each a diminishing rectangle of light, leading out to the back door.The houses boast hundreds of windows, wooden pillars and door frames with symbols of Gajalakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Some buildings have a scene-by-scene narration of the Mahabharata and Ramayana in the wooden panels and walls.
You will note the several unique features of the Chettinad houses; large raised platforms in the front to entertain male guests, granaries large enough to hold a year’s supply and a profusion of pillars made of wood, stone and iron. There are distinct areas for men, married sons, women and finally the kitchens. In the more opulent homes, look out for Spanish tiles, Italian marble floors and carved friezes depicting not just the usual Gods, but also scenes from the British Raj.
