CHENNAI: Chettinad as a culture is synonymous with grandeur, royalty and vibrancy. And in this city, traces of its rich heritage are hard to miss.
Deborah Thiagarajan, the Founder and President of Madras Craft Foundation, got married to Late KM Thiagarajan who hailed from a Karumuttu Thiagaraja Chettiar family in Madurai.
She recalls how every occasion was celebrated with the trademark Chettinad magnificence. “For most celebrations, we would go to Madurai and spend it with the whole family. I remember how they used to buy many gifts for a baby during the ear-piercing ceremony. ,” she remembers.
According to a city-based architect, A Srivathsan, the traditional Chettinad architecture is an amalgamation of a whole lot styles, distinctively excessive and ornamental. “While the thinnai and the mittham are still used in individual houses, these are not exclusively Chettinad. But the heavy, intricate woodwork and Aathangudi tiles that hail from Chettinad are in vogue and in constant demand by people while building their houses.
They accentuate the contemporary look,” he says.
Chennai has also been heavily inspired by the traditional Chettinad cuisine. Hailing from the kitchens of Chettiars, their meals are one of the spiciest and most aromatic in South India. A delight for the lovers of nonvegetarian food, the cuisine had its origin in a small village called Nedungudi.
A typical meal is served on a banana leaf and includes varieties of mutton, fish, and chicken. The Chettinad pepper chicken has gained highest popularity.
The spices used in Chettinad cuisine, are undoubtedly what makes them unique, according to Chef Shashidhar Bhat of Residency Towers.
“These include spices liken Marathi mokku (dried flower pods), anasipoo (star aniseed) and kalpasi, to name a few. In addition, tamarind, whole red chillies and saunf (Fennel seeds) are also used along with cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, peppercorn, cumin seeds and fenugreek,” he says.
With customs that are still practiced zealously and a tradition that has its roots bound strongly, Chettinad’s influence on Chennai and its people has a long way to go.