Traditional Upper-Class Homes

We got to tour two traditional Chettinad upper-class homes.

The first was built in the late 1800's.

Artwork is added daily after the morning sweeping of the entry steps and threshold.

The "marriage hall" of this house. This space housed all the important functions of a large extended family.

A newer house in the Art Deco style was built next door in the 1920s that largely replaced the first one.

This is the "parlor" or "sitting room" where the family could receive guests. Such as space was not in the older house. Behind us is a room , the first one in from the street, where business was conducted. Ahead is the marriage hall, followed by the main courtyard for family life. Originally, the kitchen was the final room in the house.

The marriage hall -- the grandest room in the house. Along the left side are the locked "dowry rooms".

A closer look at the balcony around the marriage hall.

A decorative panel over a door in the marriage hall.

The courtyard where most daily family life took place.