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{{Short description|Buildings in Tamil Nadu, India}}

The '''Chettinad mansions''' are a collection of over 10,000 lavish homes of the Nattukottai Chettiar and Vallam Velallar community in the region of [[Chettinad]] in [[South India]].<ref name=":2" /> These mansions were built with materials from all across the globe to signify the community's wealth as merchants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<ref name=":4" /> The mansions blended global features with traditional Tamil architecture to form homes for large joint families.<ref name=":3" /> Since [[World War II]], conservation efforts have been ongoing to maintain these homes and draw in tourists from across the globe.<ref name=":2" /> However, preserving the mansions has been difficult due to legal challenges and cost barriers.<ref name=":5" /> The Chettiar community has looked to upkeep their built heritage by leasing the houses to Indian hotel chains and exploring other solutions.<ref name=":4" />

== History of creation ==
[[File:India Tamil Nadu Kanadukathan Raja Palace.JPG|thumb|A well-known Chettinad mansion - the Kanadukathan Raja Palace]]The region of [[Chettinad]] in the south Indian state of [[Tamil Nadu]] is the home of the Nattukottai Chettiar community, a prosperous merchant community known for trading precious stones in Southeast Asia. As traders, Chettiars shipped spices, rice, and gems to countries like Malaysia, Burma, and Vietnam and also served as bankers to kings and the [[British Raj]] for centuries.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Pasley |first=James |title=Inside India's 15,000 extravagant, abandoned mansions, built by spice and gem tycoons and left to decay |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-15000-abandoned-lavish-mansions-built-by-tycoons-in-india-2023-4 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> They rose to the peak of their power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=India's 10,000 forgotten mansions |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230404-indias-10000-forgotten-mansions |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=www.bbc.com}}</ref> As a major Hindu banking community in South India, the Chettiar community gained a vast influence and richness that allowed them to build a dense network of 96 villages within the region; however, only 73 villages remain today.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Centre |first=UNESCO World Heritage |title=Chettinad, Village Clusters of the Tamil Merchants |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5920/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en}}</ref>
Between 1850 and the end of World War II, the Nattukottai Chettiar community built over 10,000 lavish mansions in the region with many spanning tens of thousands of square feet.<ref name=":1" /> The houses were built for joint families to live together as many houses had 70-80 residents at one time.<ref name=":2" /> On average, every mansion has more than 50 rooms and three to four courtyards. Most span more than one acre, often covering an entire street. Given the scale, many locals refer to the houses as ''periya veedus'' or “big houses<nowiki>''</nowiki>.<ref name=":1" /> The mansions were conceived to perform the different rituals and celebrations that occur during the course of life from birth to death such as marriage and birthday events.<ref name=":3" />

== Architecture and materials ==
[[File:Chettinad mansion colors.jpg|thumb|Example of stained glass windows and interior design of mansions]]

When building these mansions, Chettiars were inspired by European architecture and commissioned local architects to work with raw materials from all over the world. Consequently, aspects like marble floors, stained glass windows, and gothic facades became a common feature in every house.<ref name=":2" /> These elements were blended with components of vernacular Tamil architecture as well. Examples of this traditional design can be seen in the open courtyards, raised verandas, carved wooden frames, and stucco depictions of Hindu deities.<ref name=":2" />

The Chettiar community also had a strong vision of land-use planning which connected the different urban to landscape elements, particularly for rainwater harvesting and storage systems. The slopes of the roofs allowed rainwater to be collected during monsoon season to fill up a village’s wells and common ponds.<ref name=":3" /> Courtyards were built on a longitudinal axis and were made of thick walls of brick, lime plasters, terracotta roofing, and marble floors to limit the effects of the semi-arid, hot climate.<ref name=":3" />

There are countless examples of the materials that Chettiars sourced from all over the world. Materials included: teak wood from Burma, satinwood from Ceylon, marble from Italy and Belgium, tiles from Bombay, Japan, Germany, France, and England, and chandeliers from Belgium, France, and Italy.<ref name=":3" /> Given the quality of these items, Chettiars brought in craftsmen from all over India to help with woodcarving, frescoes, egg-plastering, and other complex projects.<ref name=":3" />[[File:Chettinad houses.jpg|thumb|A traditional center courtyard]]The main courtyard of any of the mansions is considered the center part of the house where the rituals take place. It operates as a temple sanctuary where priests from Chettiar temples celebrate important events.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Rajivkumar |first1=Seetha |title=Identifying the Character-Defining Elements in the Traditional Houses of Chettinadu Region, Tamil Nadu, India |date=2022 |work=Cities’ Identity Through Architecture and Arts |pages=57–72 |editor-last=Mohareb |editor-first=Nabil |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-030-99480-8_5 |access-date=2024-04-10 |place=Cham |publisher=Springer International Publishing |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-99480-8_5 |isbn=978-3-030-99479-2 |last2=Kesavaperumal |first2=Thirumaran |editor2-last=Cardaci |editor2-first=Alessio |editor3-last=Maruthaveeran |editor3-first=Sreetheran |editor4-last=Cavalagli |editor4-first=Nicola|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The interior of the mansions conform strictly to a layout that reflects the culture’s class and gender differences. For example, it is common to find a covered area where men used to conduct business with tradesmen on two raised platforms called Thinnais that flank the front door of any house.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Hass |first=Nancy |date=May 17, 2017 |title=India's Lost Party Mansions |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/t-magazine/india-chettinad-mansions-travel.html |access-date=April 10, 2024 |website=New York Times}}</ref>

== Preservation over time ==
When World War II began in 1939, overseas trading took a hit that led to a decline in wealth for many Chettiars.<ref name=":2" /> The community faced financial pressures from the British, Japanese, and other countries in key trading zones like Burma.<ref name=":4" /> With their economic system in shards, most Chettiars left their villages to seek employment outside of Chettinad in Chennai, Mumbai, Singapore, and other places across the globe.<ref name=":4" /> This left many of their mansions abandoned.<ref name=":2" />

Conservation efforts since the end of World War II have been incredibly difficult due to legal battles and cost barriers. Renovation expenses of Chettinad homes can run into the thousands and are often recurring costs to maintain the properties.<ref name=":5" /> Numerous mansions have remained abandoned because of ongoing legal battles over ownership; this is because houses have numerous owners that are the male descendants of the original residents.<ref name=":2" />

Research shows that owners are enthusiastic about architectural preservation and are exploring different ways to sustain the houses.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Rajivkumar |first1=Seetha |last2=Kesavaperumal |first2=Thirumaran |date=2018-10-02 |title=Investigating the residents' attitude towards the preservation of palatial houses built heritage in Chettinad region, Tamil Nadu |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20518196.2018.1529549 |journal=Journal of Community Archaeology & Heritage |language=en |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=250–265 |doi=10.1080/20518196.2018.1529549 |issn=2051-8196|url-access=subscription }}</ref> One method has been to lease the homes to Indian hotel chains to generate tourist income and spread the Chettiar heritage with people from across the world.<ref name=":4" /> One example is Chidambara Vilas, a 25 bedroom luxury hotel retrofitted from a traditional Chettinad mansion. The hotel group conducted a 3-year restoration to transform the 118-year-old mansion into a tourist destination in the village of Kadiapatti.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Discover Chettinad {{!}} Chidambara Vilas - A Luxury Heritage Resort |url=https://www.sangamhotels.com/chidambara-vilas-pudukkottai/discover-chettinad.html |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=www.sangamhotels.com |language=en}}</ref> Overall, 10% of Chettinad mansions have received tourist makeovers, whereas 30% have been completely destroyed.<ref name=":2" /> It will likely require the whole Chettiar community to come together to preserve these important examples of built heritage going forward.<ref name=":5" />

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Buildings and structures in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Chettiar]]

Chettinad mansions - Revision history

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