As we entered the Chidambara Vilas I noticed a picture which reminded me of my grandfather in a similar attire and his photo displayed in the same way! Just that, no other similarities!
https://www.sangamhotels.com/chidambara-vilas-pudukkottai/The resort is very impressive. The staff very welcoming. We arrived around lunch time and had a quick lunch. Being a bit tired after the morning activities and the drive I just slept. I missed a demo of how to cook Chettinad cuisine but joined a talk about Chettiars and their style as businessmen. We retired early after dinner!
As Dayanidhi commented on my earlier blog on mansions, chettinad reminds one of Thailand and Penang, in short, areas which are better off. Sethu was also surprised to see so many mansions in that small area! There are so many lessons one can learn from the chettiyars. The way they became prosperous, the reason they had to leave Burma. The rationale for building so many Mansions and so on! However it is also true that we do not see the abject poverty we saw right after our independence!
I remember arguing with friends, I was a teen, that we should not have used the Rastrapathi Bhavan and other big places as residences, we were a poor country! We should have used them as public places. I have learnt that I am a lone voice in such a debate and will be shouted down! Most humans are built differently.
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| Incredible woodwork! |
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We didn't go out in the evening.
Walked around the swimming pool! |
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| Dining area |
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| Pooja room |
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The general manager of the resort tooks us around
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The group of residents at the resort
We drove the next day to visit a factory making the famous chettinad tiles. On the way the driver stopped to show us this Mansion. More like a museum, we just walked around. I guess the fee collected helps to maintain the mansion.
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