Chettinad festival fuels efforts to preserve mansions, crafts and local traditions

The Chettinad Heritage and Cultural Festival is helping draw attention, visitors and investment to a region whose historic mansions, crafts and architectural traditions face decline. The five-year-old festival is centred on the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, which comprises 75 villages across about 600 square miles and is associated with the Nattukottai Chettiar community. The community’s commercial success across Southeast Asia helped finance large mansions built between the 18th and mid-20th centuries.

The homes, some covering 40,000 square feet or more, are now at risk as buildings are demolished, left empty or used only for weddings and other functions. M. Meyyappan Jr., who compiled “A Chettiar Album” with the late historian S.

Muthiah, said the knowledge and skills needed to maintain the houses were disappearing. He described the region as shrinking as generations lost contact with the buildings and techniques. Festival organiser Meenakshi Meyyappan, 92, has worked for months on schedules, invitations, menus and accommodation.

The event has introduced more visitors to Chettinad’s mansions and landscape, while the resulting interest has encouraged restoration and hospitality projects. The report cited the restoration of a 150-year-old mansion for The Vaadhyar’s House restaurant in 2018 and the opening of The Lotus Palace in another historic structure in 2024. It also said locals reported that Taj Hotels had been looking for a mansion to restore.

Community-led initiatives include Pettagam, described as India’s first private museum for Chettinad jewellery, and The Museum of Chettinad, opened by Visalakshi Ramaswamy in her 125-year-old family home in Kanadukathan. The festival programme includes discussions, textile displays and heritage visits. Restoration efforts have also helped revive techniques such as Athangudi tile-making and lime plastering, including methods remembered by workers from earlier generations.