Exploring tourist places of Karaikudi and Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu

Exploring glamorous and luxurious mansions

Experiencing one of the finest cuisines of India

Staying like royalty in one of the several heritage hotels

Driving alongside lush green farmlands

And visiting some of the most unique temples of India

Hearing about the most unique legendary story of the mighty and witted Chettiars!!

Generally when you think of places to visit in Tamil Nadu, does “Karaikudi” or “Chettinad” ever comes to your mind? I am sure you will immediately think of “Ooty” or “Kodaikanal“. Which are the best of the hill stations of South India. And if you are a sea bird then Dhanushkodi, Chennai, Mahabalipuram will be the words striking you. Isn’t it? Finally, when it comes to cultural tourism, Madurai – the temple town. Or Rameshwaram – which has one of the 12 jyotilingas and is one of the reverred “Char Dhams” of Hindus. One or both of these immediately pop up in mind. Maybe even Thanjavur, whose UNESCO world heritage declared Brihadeeshwara Temple is one of the largest Hindu temples. And a great cultural attractions. But hardly anyone thinks of the Chettinad Tourism – a less explored region of Tamil Nadu.

The offbeat experience exploring Chettinad region and Karaikudi tourist places

The beautiful Chettinad region remains unexplored and offbeat. And Chettinad Tourism doesn’t attract as many people as it should. Had the limelight not always gone to the other famous places. In short, it is a beautiful region. With green fields, beautiful landscapes and crystal clear lakes. That reminded me of the days I spent in Switzerland. Top that with uniquely built Chettiar mansions, mouth watering food, legendary Ayyanar and other temples and heritage palaces turned into hotels that provide not just luxurious stays but an experience of a lifetime.

Now you know, you have got an offbeat gem to explore – Karaikudi Tourist Places – in the heart of Chettinad. At a perfect distance from Bangalore to be your next extended weekend getaway. With that, let this post be your complete guide to Chettinad Tourism and Karaikudi Tourist Places. And let me take you virtually to all that you can do. Also to the places that you can see while exploring Chettinad.

How I came to know about Chettinad and Karaikudi

But before anything else, let me tell you how I came to explore the Karaikudi tourist places. I had first read about this region in an interlinked article from “Sekhawati region” of Rajasthan. With which you can draw several parallel to Chettinad region, it’s architectures, mansions and grandeurs. But I really understood the depth & the richness of the region after reading the details put together by Ami Bhat on her blog about Karaikudi and Chettinad.

And further discovered that one of my close colleagues actually has his roots in the region. And when he came to know about me exploring his hometown, he told me so many stories about the history of the region and his clan that it further enriched my knowledge to a great extent! I am thankful to both the above persons, for introducing me to a region so rich in history, culture and architecture.

History of Chettinad Region of Tamil Nadu, Karaikudi and Chettiars

How Chettinad Region came into being

The Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu is actually a cluster of some 80 villages . These lie in the Pudukottai and Shivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. And Karaikudi is one of the main towns of this area. It is also considered the capital or the centre of the Chettinad region. Athangudi is another small town and a must visit when visiting Karaikudi Tourist Places. It hosts the Athangudi Tiles Factory and the Athangudi Palace. 

Inhabitants of Chettinad – The Nattukottai Chettiars – The story of Nagarathar

The Chettinad area gets it’s name from it’s original inhabitants, the Chettiars (“Nattukottai Chettiars”). Years back, the Nattukottai Chettiars were a rich merchant community. And they lived during the Chola period in Poompuhar – the ancient capital of the Chola Empire. They went far and wide for business. And traded with Europe as well as South East Asian countries.

However, their prosperous town of Poompuhar was destroyed in a tsumani. After which, the Chettiars moved inland. And settled in the cluster of villages which came to be known as the Chettinad Region. The original natives of this region called them “Nagarathar” means people who come from the town.

The legend of Nattukottai Chettiars as heard from my colleague who belongs to the region!

Hit by the Tsunami

After the tsunami hit their village, the Chettiars roamed around to nearby regions for shelter. They approached several ruling provinces of the time, including the mighty Chola Kingdom. But none of them were willing to host the Chettiars. Pertaining to the wit and intelligence of this community, most of the kingdom saw them as threat to their power. So, eventually the Chettiars settled into the Karaikudi region – a barren land that no one actually cared about and thought of any value.

Rising back to power

Once again the Chettiars slowly started and expanded their trade from Karaikudi region. They accumulated so much wealth that they even started lending money to the royal families of the region. And even the East India Company!! With their wealth, they built massive houses, actually mansions which were no less than palaces. The logs of wood for these houses came from Burma. After floating for days on. the ocean water, expanding and contracting several times. Before reaching the shored. Which would solidify them with the strength of stones. The tiles came from Persia and Italy. And the glasses from Morocco.

The construction of Chettinad Mansions

These houses have intricate carvings, stones and glasses brought from overseas. Although the forts of Emperors were built on hill tops as is evident from numerous forts of India like the Chittorgarh Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Amer Fort. etc. But the mansions of the Chettiars looked like forts built on the ground! And for that reason, once again they got another name – the Nattukottai Chettiars – meaning Chettiars with forts on the ground!! How interesting.

Present state of Chettinad Mansions

However, over the generations, the Chettiars started migrating out of India. They left their mansions behind. Some of these mansions are still maintained, with guards on the door and keepers to maintain them. While some other are getting reclaimed by nature, due to the lack of maintenance. And there are some which were converted into heritage hotels. Nevertheless, it’s a pleasure to visit them and view their unique and grand architecture.

To hear this story from someone who is perhaps a descendant of the Chettiars themselves, was the most mesmerising part for me!!

Karaikudi tourist places to visit and Chettinad experiences

With the basic introduction to the Chettinad region, lets next dive into the Karaikudi tourist places. And interesting things to do in the Chettinad region. In a nutshell, exploring this area of Tamil Nadu is all about celebrating it’s rich and vibrant past – eat pray love style! Let the Chettinad cuisine satisfy your taste buds, hop through the temples of the region some of which are very unique. And fall in love with the mansions and palaces of the Chettiars and the beauty of this whole area!

The Ayyanar Temples of Chettinad – top Karaikudi Tourist Places to visit

Although you will see many temples while exploring the streets of Karaikudi, the legendary Ayyanar Temples of Chettinad stand out. Marked by painted terracotta horses that are supposed to guard the temple and the region around it, these temples have a very interesting legend behind them. But I will save that for a later post.

If you are exploring the temples of Chettinad, you are bound to visit at least one Ayyanar Temple. Some of the very famous ones include the Namanasamundram Ayyanar Temple and Solai Andavar Temple of Karaikudi which are the largest Ayyanar Temple. And the one in Pudukottai which has the tallest horse statue. And then there is one in almost every village. Interested? Wait for this upcoming blog post to uncover the legend of the Ayyanar Temple of Chettinad. In a nutshell, the Ayyanar temples are one of the most important Karaikudi tourist places to visit.

Other beautiful temples – one of the best Karaikudi Tourist Places

Apart from the Ayyanar Temples, there are many other beautiful temples in Karaikudi. Each temple has a beautiful pond in front of it, with steps leading right to the water. And each one is constructed facing east direction. They have the typical “shikhar” or top tower that most of the South Indian temples from Chola times are characterised with.

While some of the larger temples also have an outer varandah in front of the inner chamber (garbhagrih) in which the actual idol is established. Some of the temples that you must not miss when visiting Karaikudi tourist places , apart from the Ayyanar temples, include 9 clan temples and many other temples. For a complete list of temple hopping in Karaikudi along with a map, wait for our upcoming blog post.

Mansion hopping through Chettinad Heritage Town – experiencing Chettinad Architecture

Apart from visiting the temples , another most important thing to do when in Chettinad is to visit the Chettinad Heritage Town. It is an area around 13km from the main town of Karaikudi, that consists of the Chettinad Maharaja’s palace and a maze of streets with different Chettinad Mansions from different eras – some still intact, some in ruins, some half ruined.

But through all of these, the uniqueness of the architecture and the grandeur with which these mansions were built is pretty evident. While you need special permissions from someone inside to be able to visit the Chettinad Maharaja’s Palace. But you can manage to visit some of the other houses round the corner like VRR House. Where a the guard will be more than happy to give you the tour of the insides on a meagre fee of INR 50 or less per head.

The mansions of Chettinad are definitely the top-most on the list of Karaikudi tourist places.

Here’s a detailed post of how we went mansion hopping in Chettinad.

I truly felt overwhelmed while visiting these mansions. Clicking my camera like crazy and still feeling that I was not getting enough of it all. Stopping at every step, zooming in to the finer details, snapping from different angles. This area is best explored on foot. However it was raining when we visited so we drove through the lanes, stopping and taking pictures every few moments. This area reminded me somehow strongly of Fountainhas Heritage Portuguese Colony that I had visited earlier this year on my two weeks workcation in Goa.

Visit to the Athangudi Palace

Although you might not be able to visit the Chettinad Palace, you are welcome to explore the Athangudi Palace, in Athangudi village, almost 13km from Karaikudi. Though a very small portion of the palace is open to the public, it is more than enough to give you a glimpse of the Chettinad Architecture. With all the elements of a typical Chettiar Mansion – European tiles and glasses, Chettinad Tiles, outer porch, large expansive Varandar, inner courtyard around which the rooms are set, motifs of peacock and beautifully carved massive wooden doors!! As you zoom in you will find more and more details. Soon, we will dedicate a complete tour of the Athangudi Palace for you.

Exploring the unique Chettinad Tiles and their manufacturing at the Athangudi Tiles Factory

A visit to a Chettinad tiles factory where you can witness the tiles manufacturing is definitely another one which should be high on your list of Karaikudi Tourist places to visit.. Did you know that each Chettinad tile is not just beautiful, its hand crafted – each one of them! And also eco friendly. No wonder they have added sustainable beauty to the Chettinad Mansions where they often adore the walls and floors in different sections of the houses. However, they are also exported outside of the region. You can witness the complete process of manufacture of a Chettinad Tile in Athangudi Tiles Factory which lies very close to the Athangudi Palace.

Enjoying the Chettinad Cuisines while visiting Karaikudi Tourist Places

Equally famous as the mansions of Chettinad is the Chettinad Cuisine. The thing which sets the Chettinad Cuisine apart is that all the ingredients are freshly prepared. Even the masalas (spices) used are freshly ground. Which makes it full of flavours. The cuisine mostly consists of rice based meals, dosa, idli, idiappam, vellai paniyaram, karuppatti paniyaram, paal paniyaram, kuzhi paniyaram, kozhakattai, masala paniyaram, adikoozh, kandharappam, seeyam, masala seeyam, kavuni arisi, maavurundai, and athirasam etc.

Since the Chettinad region is a dry region, the Chettiars often used sun dried salted vegetables and dried and preserved meat as their food ingredients. The Chettinad Cuisine is famous all over Tamil Nadu and beyond. So, when in this region, don’t forget to try out some of these mouth watering delicacies.

Experience an offbeat relaxing getaway in one of the Chettinad Heritage Hotels

The Chettinad region is full of heritage hotels. Many of these are original mansions converted to hotels. And not just the stay, but even the cuisine here consists of original Chettinad flavours. It is definitely on top of everyone’s list visiting this area to stay in one such hotel. Some of the prominent ones include the Bangala, the Chettinadu Mansion, Chola Heritage, Vilasam by CGH Earth, Chidamnara Vilas and Saratha Vilas. You can check and book one of the Chettinad Heritage hotels here. Click the links below to book one of them for your stay in Karaikudi or Chettinad:

The Bangala

Chettinadu Mansion

Chidambara Vilas

Sarath Vilas

Chola Heritage

 

Shopping Antiques & Sarees in Karaikudi

Hand woven cotton sarees and unique antiques from the old Chettinad Mansions are some items you should definitely check out if you plan to shop in Karaikudi. There is a dedicated antiques market where the shops contain mirrors, carved wooden patches of doorframes and window frames, other small furniture, brass and silver ware from the kitchens of Chettinad Houses, even massive locks, vases, metal and terracotta items. If you are crazy about antiques or love collecting them, I am sure you will return back home with not just one but many!! As for the sarees, you can actually visit one of the handlooms or house of a weaver to witness the weaving process yourself.

Enjoying the beautiful landscapes and the countryside while driving to and around Karaikudi

Although not really “a place to visit”, the whole landscape around Karaikudi and the Chettinad region blew me completely by it’s sheer beauty. Lush green fields with intermittent lakes, scattered temples with beautiful ponds adorning their front, and small cluster of houses of the farmers in between. As far as I can remember, I have not seen a more beautiful countryside while driving around in India. Although we did cross some beautiful landscapes on our 3 weeks MP road trip, and have drove through much wider and excellent roads during our road trips around India, this one was beautiful in its own way. And the cloudy weather added to it all making the drive all the more pleasant. hope these pictures above help you understand what I am trying to say.

Visiting the Kanadukathan Maharaja’s Palace

Not everyone is permitted to visit this palace since the Royal family still lives here. And they prefer their privacy. If you can reach out to them through someone closely related to them, basically through a solid referral, you can have a chance to visit here. Although, even when not visiting from inside, the Chettinad Maharajs Palace is totally worth looking at from outside. And it lies right in the centre of the Chettinad Heritage Town. When I visited here, I couldn’t help but admire its size and its massive structure from outside, the high compound walls, the typical green gates, the Chettinad style outer and inner varandahs and the other details visible from outside!

Alagappa Chettiar Museum

A museum dedicated to Vallalal Alagappa Chettiar, who is best known for his educational services. The museum depicts the major achievements of his life . And also has some objects at display which were used by him. The museum is located in Kalayanpuram, Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, outside of Karaikudi.

Chettinad vintage cars and camera museum

The owner of the Chettinad vintage cars and camera museum, L M Lakshmanan, recalls his passion for vintage cars that developed from the estate car owned by his grandfather. He poured his passion into his museum which houses not just vintage cars and camera but also two and three wheelers. Slowly he added vintage toys, camera and other things to his collection, which has steadily expanded. Another must see when in Karaikudi.

Thirumayam Fort

It is a 40 acres wide fortress. And it is located on the Karaikudi – Pudukottai Highway. It was constructed by Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi, the Raja of Ramnad in 1687. The fort saw its major renovation at the hands of the Archeological Survey of India, in 2012. Although small, it is one of the interesting places to visit while in Karaikudi. The fort is constructed in the famous “seven ring” fashion with seven layers of outer walls guarding it. As of today only 4 walls are still standing.

Places to visit near Karaikudi

• • Thanjavur
    • Must visit places in Thanjavur
    • Brihadeeshwara Temple Thanjavur – one of the biggest Hindu temples of all times
  • Rameshwaram
    • Our 2 days itinerary exploring Rameshwaram
  • Madurai : Our relevant writeup for Madurai:
    • Things to do in Madurai in a day
    • Hopping through the temples of Madurai
    • Facts and Legends of the Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai
    • Is it worth visiting the Thirumalai Nayakar Palace in Madurai

General information on visiting Karaikudi or Chettinad

What is the best time to visit Karaikudi Tourist Places in Chettinad

The Chettinad area has warm climate all through the year. Even when we visited end of December, the daytime temperature went as high as 30 degrees with bright sunshine. However, when it got cloudy, cold winds blew and the weather got really pleasant. I think October to March will be good to visit the Karaikudi Tourist Places. But do check the weather forecast. The Chettinad region is not very far from either Rameshwaram or Chennai, so, low oceanic pressure that cause heavy rain in the coastal areas do bring rains to Karaikudi and around. Which was very evident from the numerous ponds, lakes and water logged fields.

If you visit in January around Pongal festival, you will find the temples of Chettinad decorated and the festivities in the air.

How to reach Chettinad Region or how to visit Karaikudi Tourist Places

Karaikudi, the main town of Chettinad, is very close to Madurai, almost 90km. It is well connected with Madurai, Rameshwaram and Thanjavur via national highways and state highways. There is a railway station also, so, you can come here via train from Madurai. But, having own vehicle and driving through the Chettinad Region will really give you the opportunity to explore all the nooks and corners as per your wish. So, we highly recommend driving here. Also, the route was very beautiful. And the weather very supportive when we drove to Karaikudi from Rameshwaram. Thereby making it a perfect road trip destination. On the way we crossed beautiful meadows, lush green fields and ponds filled with fresh rain water. The above pictures captured on our way from Rameshwaram to Karaikudi are the testimony to the beautiful road trip we had!

Where to stay in Chettinad Region while visiting Karaikudi Tourist Places

There are several heritage hotels in the Chettinad Region that serve authentic Chettinad Cuisines and also give you the feel of living in a Chettinad Mansion. They are spread across Karaikudi, Kanadikathan and other cluster of villages around Karaikudi. Alas, we couldn’t stay in any as all were booked given it was year end weekend. So, we plan to visit here once again, just experience the Heritage Hotel stay and relax. Meanwhile, there are other inns and hotels also coming up slowly across the Chettinad region as it gains popularity among the tourists. We stayed in Mehar Inn, a simple hotel which was not at all crowded.

A good option to stay when you don’t want to be around too much crowd. Almost all the heritage hotels have in house restaurants. But many have limited them currently to just the guests staying with them to avoid outside rush. So, if you plan to have a meal at a different hotel, do enquire in advance. In the later section of this blog post, I have provided details on some of the most famous and beautiful heritage hotels of this region, do check them out.

Conclusion

Now that you have got a complete new region to visit, do plan a trip and let me know how you liked it! Hope you enjoy the amalgamation of unique architecture, interesting legends, delicious food and heritage stay in landscaped natural surroundings as much as I did. Although there were a few places here which I wanted to explore even better which I couldn’t because of lack of time. But definitely next time. Any ways, since we missed staying in a heritage hotel this time, we will definitely plan a trip to this region next time for that peaceful, offbeat, luxurious and traditional stay experience. And when we do – we will definitely let you know!!

 

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