Visalam

Chettinad, homeland of the Nattukottai Chettiars, a prosperous banking and business community, seems to live and breathe history. Experience a heritage, art and architecture untouched by time. Visalam, in Karaikudi, is reflective of the grandeur of the region, combined with the almost yogic simplicity of the community.

As a visitor, when you ramble through the narrow streets, you will stumble, literally on stones and worn out roads, and figuratively in stupefaction that there is so much untouched by tourism. Today, there is a curious mix of old stately mansions, English-styled bungalows, partially ruined homes, wedding halls, shops and schools. Somewhere in between will be the temple, with its gopurams in colours varying from washed-out to recently painted tomato red, cobalt blue, parrot green and sunflower yellow. The main streets hum with activity in some villages and others only glimpse an occasional bus off-loading or picking up a couple of village folk. There is so much here for everyone to see, but nothing beats the local cuisine.

Today, Chettinad is known for many things besides its homes. There is the basket weaving industry and the flourishing, local Authangudi tile making industry, the stone carvers, silver smiths, wood carvers, the diamond merchants and many more like them. As many people have found out, believe me, visit once and the community's charms and the warmth of the hosts will lure you back again, and again.