Things To Do Chettinad

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Places To Visit In Chettinad

Athmanathaswamy Temple

Athmanathaswamy Temple, which was built during the 10th century, is a popular tourist attraction. The deity worshipped here is Lord Shiva. The temple interiors, that have been kept intact for all these years are beautiful. The temple walls are heavily decorated with inscriptions and paintings. The mural paintings that adorn this temple were sketched 17th century and 19th century. The paintings depict instances from the life of Saint Manickavasagar, who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. The temple roof is made of granite. Read More

The Chettinad Museum is a heritage home. The main reason of converting it into a museum, open to guests was to show them the unique Chettinad style of living. The place is full of heavy clothes, traditional gold jewellery, utensils, metal cutlery, huge copper water vats and grain bins and various other everyday items that reflect how these people go about their daily routines.

Located in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, the majestic architecture of Chettinad Palace is a beautiful example of the indigenous Chettinad architecture. Adorned with embellishments from all over the world, this mighty edifice dates back to the year 1912. The construction style of the palace also reflects some European influence, which only adds to the regal beauty of the palace. The establishment was built under the guidance of Dr Annamalai Chettiyar, founder of the Indian Bank and the Annamalai University. The august grandeur of the Chettinad Palace is only enhanced by the vast expanses of lush greens surrounding it. Perched within the bounds of a carefully cultivated garden area, the palace is a sight to sore eyes. Once you recover from the breathtaking beauty of the natural surroundings, the ravishing architecture of the palace will enchant you with its charm. Carved with careful intricacy, the palace is a combination of detailing and opulence. The palace also houses a number of figurines which will effortlessly transport you back to the pages of history. A marvellous edifice, the palace is a sumptuous experience for all. Read More

Chettinadu Mansion is a heritage resort located in Kanadukathan which is over 100 years old and has been opened to the public as a resort for quite some years now. It is still a very well maintained heritage resort and is a perfect place for the ones who wish to experience the bygone times of Chettinad. The old age charm and the architecture are still intact. There are about 12 rooms which are rented out to tourists who wish to stay in the mansion. They offer complete privacy, comfortable stay and serve delicious Chettinad Cuisine to all their guests. Although traditional, the Chettinadu Mansion maintains an informal vibe for the guests to make them feel comfortable and welcome. The opulent mansion has rooms with traditional Chettinad architecture that draws architecture enthusiasts from all over the world. Right from the entrance to the innermost room, it is a majestic structure with expansive courtyards, the corridors and the living and recreational areas. They also arrange for activities that tourists can enjoy while they are miles away from their chaotic and stressful lifestyles. Many are awestruck by the simplicity and its unique charm. Several Bollywood and Tollywood movies have been shot here. One can also explore the little museum they maintain here and also give demonstrations to introduce tourists to the cooking styles and ingredients of Chettinad. Read More

Chettinad has seven temples, shared by the nine village clusters found around Karaikudi. Ilayathangudi is the first clan temple. The temple is about 25 km from the main village. It is believed that the temple ground served as the resting place for the Lords, when they travelled in this region, thousands of years ago.

Located at about 25 km from Karaikudi on the Pillaiyarapatti road, the Iraniyur temple has one of the most beautiful idols of Natraja, the dancing Shiva, from the 12th century. The temple is full of beautiful paintings, put up in two lots in the temple, each during its two renovations.

The Mathur Temple is one of the nine clan temples of the Chettinad Nagarathar community. This temple is dedicated to the Ainootheswarar and Lord Periyanayaki. Ancient records suggest that the temple is around 1500 years old. With its unique and intricate construction, the Mathur temple is a popular tourist spot among seekers of the divine. With its enchanting carvings and engravings, the facade of the temple is beautiful beyond words. Depicting scenes from the daily life of both the Gods and mortals, the entrance of the temple is both mesmerising and humbling all at the same time. The entrance of the temple boasts of stone steps which have statues of elephants on both the sides. The inside of the temple is equally beautiful as the outside if not more. Covered with myriad coloured carvings, the detail in the temple's embellishments will surely leave you in awe. Read More

Named after the Lord Ganesha, the small town of Pillaiyarpatti is famous for the Pillaiyarpatti Karpaga Vinayakar Temple dedicated to the Hindu deity of knowledge and wisdom. In Tamil, Pillaiyar refers to Ganesha. The ancient rock-cut temple is a majestic testament to early Pandyan architecture, and the temple is said to have undergone three stages of growth throughout its history. The town is situated 70 kilometres north-east of Madurai, close to the heritage town of Karaikudi on the state highway 35. The temple building is mainly for its masterful sculpture work, elegant temple complex and a well-adorned shrine, and has fascinated hundreds of thousands of tourists and pilgrims since centuries. With detailed carvings adorning the exterior of the structure, the Pillaiyarpatti Temple makes up for an enchanting view. The approximately 15 historical inscriptions found in the temple haven't been able to establish a definitive age although approximations date it back more than 1500 years since the erection of the first component in the vast structure. The chief deity in the temple is a bas-relief (a relief sculpture in which the figures project slightly from the background) carved out of a hillock in an excavated cave in the temple premises, an image of Karpaka Vinayagar (Lord Ganesh) which is a colossal 6 feet tall. Festivities and grand celebrations take place during Ganesh Chaturthi and is an amazing sight. The original temple is a Shiva temple and only became famous as a Ganesha temple over the course of time. Another unique feature of this shrine is that here, Lord Vinayaga appears with two hands, unlike other places where He appears with four hands. Being one of the oldest rock cut temples in the state of Tamil Nadu, it is the proof of brilliant craftsmanship and engineering of a bygone era. Read More

The second temple of the seven is the Vairavanpatti Temple. Built in 19th century, the temple has numerous tales attached to it. The main deities worshipped here are Lord Aatkondanathar and Sivapurandevi. The temple is full of paintings from Ramayana and Mahabharata. There is a natural spring behind the temple, which is believed to have miraculous healing properties. The temple is 15 kms from the city.

The Velankudi temple, another clan temple, is located about 10 km from Karaikudi. This temple too is named after the 'Vela' tress that grow in this region. The temple clan that worships this temple has only 200 people and a very fascinating thing about them is that, there number has stayed at around 200, for the past 100 years.