Luke Duggleby

INDIA: The Mansions of the Chettiars

Numbering more than 25,000, Chettinad's mansions were built by a Hindu caste of Chettiars called the Nagarathars. They were bankers and merchants who made their fortunes outside India in Burma, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore during the times of the British colonialism. With this new found fortunes they built mansions, exquisite palaces that rivaled those of even the Maharajah's using teak from Burma, marble form Italy, tiles from Japan and steel from England.

But these glory days only lasted until after the WWII when the British left Burma and they were forced to leave return to India. Suddenly with no income their mansions began to decay and fall down or were pulled take and the pillars, windows, doors and antiques were sold. Some estimates say that around 20 per month are coming down. Hopefully, with the aid of preservation projects such as the Revive Chettinad Society, and the influx of tourism these mansions can be saved before they all fall down.

Goats walk past the elaborate entrance to a mansion in Kanadukathan.
   
The vast roof covering a mansion in Kanadukathan. In houses as large as this one over 1 million terra cotta roof tiles were used.
   
A mansion in Karaikudi seen through the windscreen of an auto-rickshaw.
     
  
A women collects water in Kanadukathan from a 'ooranis'. Ooranis is a Tamil word for water storage tank and contains rain water that is boiled then filtered for drinking.
   
Mr N.V.R Naggappan, a local Chettiar who is part owner of a large mansion in Kanadukathan.
   
A beautiful wedding hall of a mansion in Karaikudi.
     
  
Pillars for sale in a warehouse that sells exclusively items purchased from demolished Chettiar houses in Karaikudi.
   
Remains of a mansion that has fallen down in Kanadukathan. Some estimates say around 20 mansions a month are either taken down or fall down.
   
An old Chettiar relaxes outside his mansion in Kanadukathan.
     
  
A house-keeper sweeps one of the mansions in Kanadukathan.
   
Two women walk past a mansion in Kanadukathan carrying water collected in a nearby pond.
   
A Chettiar man has a shave under a tree in Kanadukathan.
     
  
A man collects water in Kanadukathan from a 'ooranis'. Ooranis is a Tamil word for water storage tank and contains rain water that is boiled then filtered for drinking.
   
A village girl stands in the doorway of her families shop in Kanadukathan.
   
A worker makes tiles in a factory in Athangudi. The village of Athangudi is famous for making tiles and is the only village in Chettinad that makes them because of the unique properties of the local soil. Nowadays, because imported tiles are so expensive, restored houses buy tiles form this village.
     
  
Local Chettiar, Mr Annamali, sits on a swing in the wedding hall of his mansion with his house-keeper in Kanadukathan.
   
The beautifully restored Visalam hotel run by the CGHEarth group in Kanadukathan.
   
Workers climb scaffolding in the restoration process of a mansion being converted in to a hotel by two frenchmen in Kottamangalam village. The frenchmen, Bernard Dragon and Michel Adment, both architects, first contacted UNESCO in Delhi to talk about saving the Chettinad mansions and as a result helped found the Revive Chettinad Society, a Chettinad based heritage NGO.
     
  
Workers in a warehouse that sells exclusively items purchased from demolished Chettiar houses in Karaikudi wrap a wooden pillar for delivery to a client.
   
A worker carries items on her head during the restoration work of CGHEarth's new property in Kottaiyur.
   
Mr A.V.R.M.S. Shockalingham in his mansion in Karaikudi. For 120 years his family were in Burma as agriculturists and bankers, exporting rice to India, but once the British left Burma their fortune disappeared as they were forced to return to India.
     
  
A recently finished tile in a factory in Athangudi. The village of Athangudi is famous for making tiles and is the only village in Chettinad that makes them because of the unique properties of the local soil. Nowadays, because imported tiles are so expensive, restored houses buy tiles form this village.
   
Exquisite wood carving in CGHEarth's new property in Kottaiyur.
   
A women carryies bricks during the restoration process of a mansion being converted in to a hotel by two frenchmen in Kottamangalam village. The frenchmen, Bernard Dragon and Michel Adment, both architects, first contacted UNESCO in Delhi to talk about saving the Chettinad mansions and as a result helped found the Revive Chettinad Society, a Chettinad based heritage NGO.
     
  
Workers during the restoration process of a mansion being converted in to a hotel by two frenchmen in Kottamangalam village. The frenchmen, Bernard Dragon and Michel Adment, both architects, first contacted UNESCO in Delhi to talk about saving the Chettinad mansions and as a result helped found the Revive Chettinad Society, a Chettinad based heritage NGO.
   
A women walks past a mansion in Kottamangalam village.
   
A hall being restored in a mansion and converted in to a hotel by two frenchmen in Kottamangalam village. The frenchmen, Bernard Dragon and Michel Adment, both architects, first contacted UNESCO in Delhi to talk about saving the Chettinad mansions and as a result helped found the Revive Chettinad Society, a Chettinad based heritage NGO.
     
  
A child peaks through the door to a mansion in Kottamangalam village.
   
Doorways for sale in a warehouse that sells exclusively items purchased from demolished Chettiar houses in Karaikudi.
   
A goat stands on the wall in a street lined by huge mansions in Kanadukathan.
     
  
Workers assemble a wooden frame for sale in a warehouse that sells exclusively items purchased from demolished Chettiar houses in Karaikudi.
   
Cows sit in the remains of a demolished mansion in Karaikudi.
   
A local women worships at a shrine outside a mansion in Karaikudi.
     
  
A house-keeper holds a large key used for the front door of the mansion. Chettiar keys are famous for being very large.
   
Recently finished tiles in a factory in Athangudi. The village of Athangudi is famous for making tiles and is the only village in Chettinad that makes them because of the unique properties of the local soil. Nowadays, because imported tiles are so expensive, restored houses buy tiles form this village.
   
The beautiful wedding hall of a mansion in Karaikudi.
     
  
A local man rides his bike past one of the oldest mansion in Kanadukathan.
   
A the Sunday market in Kanadukathan a stall sells goat meat, a local favourite.
   
A tile worker in the village of Athangudi. The village of Athangudi is famous for making tiles and is the only village in Chettinad that makes them because of the unique properties of the local soil. Nowadays, because imported tiles are so expensive, restored houses buy tiles form this village.
     
  
Mr Chandramouli, a local Chettiar from Kanadukathan who opened his house as a hotel called Chettinad Mansion.
   
A view of Kanadukathan from a mansion.
   
Tiles being made in a factory in Athangudi. The village of Athangudi is famous for making tiles and is the only village in Chettinad that makes them because of the unique properties of the local soil. Nowadays, because imported tiles are so expensive, restored houses buy tiles form this village.
     
  
A local women sifts sand in the restoration process of a mansion being converted in to a hotel by two frenchmen in Kottamangalam village. The frenchmen, Bernard Dragon and Michel Adment, both architects, first contacted UNESCO in Delhi to talk about saving the Chettinad mansions and as a result helped found the Revive Chettinad Society, a Chettinad based heritage NGO.
   
A man pours sweet milky tea at a local tea stand in Kanadukathan.
   
A traditional weaving workshop in Kanadukathan.
     
  
A man rides his bike in front of a mansion in Kanadukathan.
   
A worker restores a mansion in the village of Pallathur.