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Chettinad
Culture
They may be called Chettiars, but the Nattukottai Chettiars prefer to call themselves as the Nagarathar, the townsfolk in a rural part of the deep south of India. Here in their heyday, a glorious hundred-year period they held lifestyle rituals in the grandest manner possible with the participation of all clan members or"pangalis". Today many of them continue to seek their fortunes in faraway lands but home is where the heart is. And the heart is still in Chettinad for most of them, as they cling to the vestiges of a slowly vanishing traditionalism.
The central theme of Chettinad culture is worship and every Chettinad village has at least one temple, while some have four or even five. Each temple has its annual festival, called 'tiruvila' which is attended by the entire vilage in an act of collective worship.
The Chettinad calender is filled with various other festivals through out the year. Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival in the month of January is celebrated for 5 days with much gusto. Rice is boiled and partaken in public with communal participation.
The next day is the "mattu Pongal", a thanksgiving festival unique to Tamilnadu. While the first half of the day is spent in adorning and offering pongal to the cattle, the second half is for the bravehearts to participate in "jallikattu"- a bull run through the main streets to be challenged by the youth who try and remove the garland around bull's horns- an adrenalin rush not for the faint-hearted.
A special feature of South India is the decorative art of "Kolam" paracticed everyday at dawn on the cleansed threshold of the house. During auspicious days and especially on lifecycle rituals like birth and marriage related celebrations, this art form on the floor takes on a special meaning and is very elaborately done.
Marriage is the grandest celebration in a Chettiar family.The bride's trousseau is legendary and famous for the sheer number of items in all forms of gold, silver and steel. Moving into a new house and attaining sixty years of age are also celebrated as major events with much pomp.
Participation in these lifecycle rituals are almost mandatory for all family members and even the not so near and dear ones- leading most outsiders to wonder if all Chettiars are related to each other one way or the other.
Recognition
Chettinad Theme Weddings
Celebrate the most special day of your life in an equally special setting- at the magnificent mansions of Chettinad - Wedding Chettinad Style
The Chettiar Heritage - A detailed documentation of the Chettiar culture
A comprehensive and colourful Coffee-table book by the promoters of The Bangala, who have been closely involved with the Chettinad Cultural heritage.
The promoters of The Bangala, involved in the creation of this book have been closely following the rituals and culture of Chettinad and wanted to document in word and picture the highlights of that heritage before the march of time overwhelmed it.
The Book provides as comprehensive a pictorial record as possible, supported with explanatory text to remind Chettiars in India, the Chettiar diaspora and the culturally inclined reader a glimpse of the rich heritage of Chettinad.
The book also traces the history and the various sociological causes that led to the growth of the Chettinad community and presents the new face of the chettiar community today.
Published in 2002, the book has found its rightful place in every culture lover's library across the world!
The principal contributors to this effort are:
Meenakshi Meyyappan, the familiar face of gentle authority at the Bangala, also a social worker, has kept close track of the community's lifecycle rituals and traditions. A daughter-in-law of the house, her eagle eye for detail forms the basis for the legendary levels of service that the Bangala is famous for.
Visalakshi Ramaswamy, is closely involved with cultural heritage,Chettinad handicrafts, artefacts and cuisine. She is a daughter of the house and has spearheaded the revival of the Bangala. She is also actively involved in promoting Chettinad as a cultural destination.
S. Muthiah, related to the family and a noted historian, writer and author. He is also considered an authority on colonial India.
