The Chettinad region is located in southern Tamil Nadu (South India). The main city of the region is Karaikkudi, which is 400 km south from the capital of Tamil Nadu, Chennai (Madas), and 90 km from several principal historical sites of the state, including as Thanjavur (WHS UNESCO), Tiruchirapalli and Madurai.
Chettinad is inhabited by approximately 110,000 Chettiars (a community of Tamil merchants), among other local communities, who are spread over two cities and 73 villages. Beyond the iconic Rajah’s Palace, the region’s villages boast a stunning landscape created by a harmony of architectural elements and urban planning. While the individual façades of the more than 12,000 family mansions in Chettinad villages bear witness to the extravagance that international trade allowed ever wealthier Chettiar families, the villages themselves stand out as a remarkable cultural heritage of architectural style and engineering prowess.
Places of Interest in the Saratha Vilas’ Vicinity
Kanadukathan
Kothamangalam
Kanadukathan is the heart of the current tourism trail in Chettinad. The village’s wide avenues offer vistas of palatial architecture, and the Raja’s Palace is considered the region’s principal destination. Three Chettiar mansions are also open to visitors.
Kothamangalam, home to Saratha Vilas, is a peaceful village 5 km from Kanadukathan. With a larger full time resident population than many, this time-forgotten village offers a glimpse of the everyday life lived along the high walled streets and behind the splendor of Chettinad’s palatial facades.
Athangudi
Rayavaram
Athangudi is known for its decorative cement-tile factories. The production inspired by the 1920s’ Maastricht process, started in Chettinad after the great depression of 1929. Various workshops propose demonstrations of their art. Athangudi also holds one of the most impressive of the Chettinad mansions, Lakshmi Palace which is open to the public.
In the southern area of Rayavaram, three large avenues are home to a remarkable number of large mansions designed in a range of architectural styles from Indo-Sarasenic to Art-Deco. Many mansion facades have been embellished by wooden structures and ornate balconies providing the owner a dominant view over the street.
Karaikkudi
Pallathur
Karaikkudi is the economic heart of Chettinad. The core of the town, the bazaar, is built around a haphazard maze of alleys and streets in contrast with other areas constructed on a strict grid. The famous antique market street leads off of the bazaar.
Pallathur is an important Chettiar settlement of about 12,000 inhabitants, 5 km from Kanadukathan. Its regular north/south urban grid pattern was established by the community at its zenith around the end of the 19th century. A heritage walk through this area is highly recommended.
Crafts & Markets
Decorative Floor Cement Tiles
Kandangi Cotton Hand Loom Sarees
Typical local crafts include decorative cement tiles and cotton weavings. Many craftsmen will show you their manufacturing techniques upon request.
Weekly Market - Chandei Market
Karaikudi Bazar - Kallukatti
Local markets which are held once a week in the villages and twice a week in Karaikudi, are an opportunity to meet today’s Chettinad residents and to discover the incredible diversity of vegetables in the region.
Ayyanar Shrines
Solai Andavar Kovil
Ellangudipatti
Ayyanar is the Tamil God “of everything “: rain, children, cattle, villages, earth, nature and villagers. Ayyanar is particularly revered in rural areas and terra-cotta offerings fill his outdoor shrines. The season of offerings is between April and September and the ritual lasts usually 3 days.
Ancient Dravidian Temples
Tirumayam
Kundrakudi
Tiumayam’s most interesting site is the Vishnu temple cut out of rock at the bottom of the hill. Satyamurthy was excavated by the Palava from 731 to 796 CE. The temple’s high-relief carving of Vishnu lying on the “primary sea” (Kshira Sagara) should not be missed.
The small village of Kundrakudi features not only a picturesque Murugan temple placed high on a rock as well as a temple dedicated to Shiva cut into the stone below it that dates from the 8th Century. Within the temple, there are several shrines dedicated to other deities such as Parvathi and Ganesh. The most impressive one comprises an interesting series of polychrome high reliefs of Lord Vishnu, Garuda.
Nagara Temples
Pillayarpatti, Nemam, Vairavanpatti
The Chettiar community has preserved its strong culture organized round nine clan temples. Each Chettiar belongs to a clan; clan committees run each of the individual temples: Illayathakudi, Illupaikudi, Iraniyur, Mattur, Nemam, Pillaiyarpatti, Soraikudi, Vairavanpatti, Velankudi.
One-day discovery tours from Saratha Vilas
Chettinad is a peaceful region offering visitors the opportunity to discover some of the Tamil Nadu’s most impressive heritage sites. Saratha Vilas can organize day temple city tours to Madurai, Tiruchirapalli, Thanjavur and Narthamalai, each within 90/100 km of the hotel. Extend your stay in the region to discover more of the unique sites and experiences of southern Tamil Nadu.
Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai
Sri Ranganathaswami Temple, Tiruchirapalli
The temple of Meenakshi Amman, a masterpiece of 17th century Dravidian architecture, is a must see when visiting South India. A day trip from Saratha Vilas offers the full temple experience, without the challenges of staying in a city.
Sri Ranganathaswami temple in Tiruchirapalli, Srirangam, is the largest living Hindu temple. This temple covers an area of 63 hectares, the size of a small city.
Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur
Vijayalaya Choleeswaram, Narthamalai
The Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur, Great Living Chola Temple, is only a 90 minute drive from Saratha Vilas. It was built during the Chola Dynasty (11th- and 12th-century), and is testimony to the Chola Empire’s outstanding contributions to architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting.
Less popular, but definitely worth the visit, the Vijayalaya Choleeswaram temple in Narthamalai was the first temple built by the Chola. Accessible only by foot, its hilltop location offers an opportunity to experience the rural landscapes of Tamil Nadu firsthand.
