Chettinad

Chettinad (also Chettinadu, Tamil: செட்டிநாடு Ceṭṭināṭu [ tʃeʈ inɑ ː ː ɖɯ ] " Chetti - land") is a region in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located in Sivaganga district in the south of the state around the city Karaikkudi. Chettinad is the home of the merchant caste of Nattukottai Chettiar and architecture and known for its rich cultural heritage.

Architecture

A native of the region Chettinad community of Nattukottai Chettiar or Nagarathar brought it during the British colonial period in the 19th century as traders in Southeast Asia to considerable wealth. In their hometowns, the Chettiar merchants built with the newly acquired money opulent estate. Thus, a separate regional architectural tradition, which is characterized by the combination of traditional Tamil and European architectural elements and the inclusion of luxurious imported building materials such as teak wood from Burma and marble from Italy developed. Many of these properties can be found in the city Karaikkudi, but also in smaller places like Kanadukathan where of Chettinad ( a title of honor, which the British of an influential merchant family awarded ) is a particularly lavish example of this architectural style with the palace of the Rajas. After the meantime, many of the old houses had fallen, because their owners could no longer pay for the upkeep, is now increasing efforts in Chettinad to invest in tourism, so as to preserve the cultural heritage. As part of this development, many of Chettinad estate to be renovated and converted into a luxury hotel.

Kitchen

Except for its architecture, the Chettinad region is famous for its culinary tradition. In the region a particularly tasty version of the Tamil cuisine is served. The Chettinad cuisine is characterized by its meat dishes, while the Tamil cuisine is marked otherwise mostly vegetarian. The most famous dish of Chettinad Chicken Chettinad cuisine is a hot, spicy chicken curry. So-called Chettinad restaurants that specialize in non-vegetarian food, found all over Tamil Nadu.