Madurai in India, is a 2500-year-old city that was essentially built around its gorgeous Meenakshi Amman Temple. This temple is a stunning example of Vijayanagar temple architecture with its intricate carved pillars, elaborate gopurams and stone carved idols.
The Bangala is a charming heritage boutique hotel located in the heart of Karaikudi. Mrs. Meyappan, who is passionate about preserving the heritage of the Chettiars, runs it.
The best part of my visit to Chettinad in South India was the food!
Chettinad is very well known for its fiery cuisine. There is great care taken in the preparation of meals. The kitchens are still very traditional using no modern machinery. Everything is hand ground and freshly cooked using the best of local ingredients.
Chettinad is a region situated in the Southeastern area of Tamil Nadu, India. The capital of Chettinad is Karaikudi.
Chettinad is the where the Chettiars originate from. They are today a very successful business community in India. The Chettiars were originally a community of traders known for their strong business practices and great sense of adventure. In the 1700’s, many of them traveled to Burma, Ceylon and other parts of South East Asia and Europe to set up very successful trades.