Chettinadu

The first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Chettinadu is of course the famous Chettinadu Chicken; a dish that has taken the culinary world by storm. What most people aren’t aware is that the Chettinadu region is one of the most beautiful natural landscapes, with some of the most unique regional architectural styles present. We reached Karaikudi on a wet rainy morning after having started early from Madurai. The way is really picturesque, filled with green fields and trees on either side of winding narrow roads.

The heavy rain had reduced down to a drizzle by the time we reached Karaikudi. After weaving our way through the puddles filled road, we made our way to the centre of the town, where we were to meet the person who was to take us to his home. After downing a few cups of hot ‘chai’ from one of the roadside shops, we piled into an auto, to proceed to the house. The first thing that catches your eye is that the narrow lanes are lined on either side by residences which all follow a similar architectural language. It’s as though the whole place has been planned carefully with a very strict code of design and construction to be followed. What one must keep in mind is that the place was built over a 100 years earlier, when architectural building rules wouldnt have existed.

 The houses are pretty big by modern standards. All of them occupy the whole width between two parallel streets. The amazing thing about these structures is that all are built on plinths of over a meter in height. We soon arrive in front of a beautiful house. An arched entrance steps welcome us. There is a cosy sit out; a colonnaded verandah, decorated with the famous ‘Athangudi’ tiles. The interiors are huge; being organised around a central linear axis. Shafts of brilliant light enter through the glass openings in the mangalore tiled roof. It is dark and mysterious inside. There are huge wooden cylindrical pillars forming platforms and gathering spaces; spaces which were used in an age gone by. Today, the old lady who presently lives there laments the amount of time, energy and money required to maintain and take care of a house of this enormity.

The room opens up into a large colonnaded courtyard, which would have been the major social gathering space previously. You can almost imagine the ladies of the household sitting in the verandah around the courtyard, exchanging gossip while tying garlands of jasmine flowers. Children would have run around the pillars and enjoyed playing in the rains falling through the open sky above. Today, the courtyard is silent; silent with its memories and sounds of a bygone era.

The house is large – room after room, interspersed with courtyards. It is one of the longest houses that I’ve seen anywhere. The detailing done in the interiors and the facade are truly amazing. The balusters on the facade terrace, the decorations on the facade, all follow a very strict vocabulary across the entire community and town. It made me wonder about the social fabric of their society, about the strength of the architectural vocabulary which made it possible to be used across the region.

We soon boarded a bus to Chettinadu proper, where the palace of the king was located. Wet rice fields surround the road on either side, with dark grey ominous looking clouds hanging in the background. Giggly schoolchildren make their way home with their satchels hung over their shoulders, unmindful of the slight drizzle falling.

Soon, almost magically, the dark grey sky clears into a brilliant blue one with fluffy white clouds. Its almost as if the sky had gone to the dry cleaners and came back to reveal its pristine beauty. The area around the palace is again full of streets following the same unique architectural vocabulary. The palace is a simple white structure, not much different from the other houses. There is an idyllic temple with a temple pond directly across the palace, reflecting the dazzling blue sky. Yet, for all the beauty of the settlement, one feels sorry at the present state of affairs. The once beautiful and proud buildings now stand in various states of disrepair and neglect. The streets too are deserted, devoid of people. The sad thing about Karaikudi and Chettinadu is that the once wealthy families have over the years moved away slowly from this place, leaving it in the care of tenants. There is a small wayside stall selling sweets, indicating that there was life here after all.

After our wanderings, we entered into a small thatched roadside hotel serving food for the locals. The furnitures were basic, a few wooden tables and benches, set in a space with green coloured walls, with the smoky kitchen in the backside. There are the labourers from the feild having their lunch. Yet the ambience of the place and the aromas hanging in the air soon sets your mouth watering. The fare is simple – rice and chicken – authentic Chettinadu Chicken!! The flavours are strong and rich. It is hot, not meant for the weak at heart!! Yet, the dish is just too delicious for words. We had our fill, only wishing that we had more space in our stomachs!!

Auroville

Auroville is a dream...or almost a dream....is it because it isn’t fully realised yet?...maybe. Or maybe it is because it still holds out the promise of what can be. An idea so beautiful, so simple in principle that it is an example of what humans can achieve...or what we ought to achieve...
Yet, 40 years on, Mother’s grand vision still remains unrealised in totality, although the basics are in place. The township is a magnet for people from various parts of the globe seeking different things, creating a microcosm of the universe. It is home to around 2000 Aurovillians; the permanent residents, and has a floating population of around 10000...there are people with varied interests – artists, writers, architects, travellers, musicians etc; people with different religious values and languages; all adding to the variety and diversity, creating a mutually harmonious existence called Auroville.



One of the first things that you notice when you reach the place is that...you seem to be lost in the middle of nowhere..Its trees all around – nothing but trees. The various shades of green being contrasted with the deep red of the earth. Yet, it is a far cry from the barren landscape the early pioneers of the township found when they started out. The passion, courage and faith of these people who believed, is something to be marvelled at, to be admired. Auroville is an amazing example of how nature can be rejuvenated and brought back to life through human intervention. Through a massive afforestation drive, the barren land was brought to life. Water harvesting techniques were used to save the rain water which normally would have run down to the sea barely 8km away. The process is still going on...there are dedicated areas where forests are cultivated, bunds are created to store the rain water, soil nourishment happens..
Auroville is a way of life....there are residents who practice farming – who literally grow their own food. Organic farming in the true sense is seen. It is interesting to see Europeans and other foreigners living here attend to basic things like milking their cow...People here don’t mind doing things with their hands....its an art that most of us seem to have forgotten...Bikes are the most common mode of transport here. Almost no cars...the ubiquitous Royal Enfield Bullet is found in many avatars...ridden by hairy tattooed guys, to the old milkman with his milk jars hanging on either sides and to even old ladies with white hair!! A few of us might remember the old ‘Moped’, which has all but disappeared from all our cities, towns and even villages. Yet, in Auroville, it is a preferred mode of transport. You can hire one of these for a single day or even a longer period from one of the various bike renting annas...



Image courtesy - Susan Rose George


The Matrimandir forms the nucleus of the township. This golden shaped dome is at the centre of the Aurovillian universe from which all things radiate out. The township is divided into various communities; each nestled in between the large forest of trees, connected by dirt roads. Architecture plays a major role in these communities, with each community having their own individuality – be it in form, material, technology etc. Yantra, Prayatna, Courage, Creativity, Acceptance etc are some of the communities...There are also guesthouses around where the visitors can rent for their stay.
There is an interesting concept of ‘house sitting’ followed here. The foreigners who have settled here often go back to their native countries for a period of time every year (also to earn some money there, which when converted into rupees increases in value). While they are away, they invite temporary residents (often students and youngsters who are in Auroville) to stay in their houses. They are allowed to use all the facilities including furnitures, computers, kitchen etc, in return for maintaining the house and often, caring for the pets...the concept is a mutually beneficial one, wherein the floating population gets to stay in real homes without paying rent and for the homeowner, the house and the pets are taken care off. What makes it ever so admiring is when you think of the amount of trust that is placed, most often in total strangers...

Auroville is a happening place as far as architecture is concerned. Since its initial inception, architecture has always been at the forefront of Aurovillian development – right from the shelters made by the pioneers to all the various research that is happening presently. A lot of interesting techniques are practised here, which are lost in mainstream commercial architecture practised elsewhere. Here; nature, materials, ecology, society, culture...all play a part in evolving a true appropriate architecture. There is a freedom to experiment, a freedom to ‘not conform’...which often gives rise to a lot of innovative design & research happening, especially with alternate materials and technology. Earth architecture, ferrocement, vaults, domes, filler slabs etc are some really interesting stuff. Energy, especially alternative energy forms a big part of Auroville. What the world is now realising in terms of climate change and global warming, people had realised here long ago and were practising a lifestyle in tune with those principles – the main difference being that here in Auroville, they really believe in what they preach and practise. There is even a ‘Solar Kitchen’, which is a large community kitchen, where all the cooking is done with the solar energy captured by a large solar disc. Waste segregation at source is a very simple concept practised here that has so much scope for implementation across all cities. Here, plastic wastes are segregated from organic wastes and are disposed off and recycled separately. Windmills; an image from our childhoods, are seen peeping out from the tree tops. They are mainly used for pumping water.


Image courtesy - Susan Rose George



Yet the sad truth is, these ideas have somewhat failed to spread to a larger audience, circulating and being practised by only a limited set of practitioners and followers – thereby being constrained within and around Auroville. They have yet not been able to achieve transformation on a larger scale, which is so crucial to maintaining the balance in a developing populous country like India, where resources are always in demand. Auroville is almost like a mirage...a vision which we always keep striving for. Yet, the simple truth is that, for something like Auroville to exist elsewhere, the people have to change...there has to be more dedicated action and faith, than mere hollow words and promises. Auroville is a way of life which has to be embraced by all involved........it is a promise for our future...

Mahabalipuram sojourn

If you are in Chennai, Mahabalipuram makes for a perfect day trip, especially a biking one. As an additional bonus, one can visit the Cholamandalam artist village and Dakshinchitra, which are both on the way. The route to take is the scenic East Coast Road or ECR, which essentially follows the coastline.
Once in Mahabalipuram, one can wander around on foot to the various places of interest. Mahabalipuram was one of the settlements of the Pallavas, during their heydays. After 'chai' from the local tea stall, we first went to a rockcut wall called 'Arjun's penance'. This is a large wall which has been converted into a 3-dimensional canvas of sculptures of tales from the Mahabharata. Nearby are various caves with sculptures depicting different stories from history. The sculptures give a great portrayal of the life of the people, their clothes, accessories, jewelleries etc..
The main attraction is the Shore Temple next to the beach. This beautiful double spired temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and its well proportioned vimana is beautifully set against the deep blue sky. Set back from the water, the grounds are a good spot for relaxation..ie.. if you can find some shade from the sun....

A short distance from the temple are the 5 rathas dedicated to the Pandavas. Conceived off as small shrines in themselves, these granite structures are an interesting composition, with a massive elephant sculpture of elegant beauty alongside.

Light and shade
One can get beautiful all round views of the distant sea from the lighthouse top...but beware of the monkeys there.

There are workshops of stone workers making amazing sculptures on the road just outside the settlement. A visit to one of this will definitely be worthwhile to see the exacting process, skill and precision with which they carry out their works..The sculptures on sale are sometimes so huge that you wonder how it will be transported!!