In the Land of Chettiyars

Madurai had always been a transit point for many of our trips to the state of Tamilnadu- Kodaikanal and Kanyakumari being important ones. One more destination was added this year- the Chettinad region. Not far away from Madurai (an easy 2-hour drive), Karaikudi is the closest town that can offer a peep into the simple yet opulent mansions that belong to the Chettiars.

The name Chettinad does not refer to any particular village or town but to a group of around 80 villages where the people from Chettiyar community lived. Nattukotai Chettiyars, as they are popularly referred to, were fine businessmen who traded with European and Southeast Asian countries such as Burma, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. These overseas trades made them settle down close to the sea. But a tsunami -like event stuck the town and all the properties of the Chettiyars were submerged. That is when they decided to move towards Karaikudi, away from the sea. 

They had accumulated so much wealth that they eventually became money lenders- lending money even to the East India Company. The mansions that we see today are an example of their prosperity and their taste for 'all fine things'- Italian marble floorings, intricately carved Burma teak pillars, Moroccan chandeliers and Belgium mirrors and glasses; not to miss the very local and colourful Athangudi tiles for interior parts of the manor. Each element of the mansion reflects their taste and prosperity. Interestingly, all the European elements blend with the Indian design beautifully. 

The First mansion that I witnessed upon entering Karaikudi

Another mansion in the heart of Karaikudi market

The Chettiyars were a joint family with members in one family extending up to 40-45 members. The innumerable rooms, open courtyards, elaborate dining halls ensured every member in the family had their space. Each room would, then, have the name of one family head written on it indicating its owner. The layout of all Chettiyar mansion remain same- entrances with Burma teak wood doors (with an extensive intricate work carved out of mythology) that lead to open courtyards with intricately carved wooden beams on both sides. The entry hall is always led by outer veranda (called the Thinnai). These 'thinnais' have huge marble columns and these were the places where the men conducted business. All the rooms of the house were arranged around the open courtyard, and it was the heart of the house where most of the activities occurred. The interior section of the houses was reserved for kitchen along with the second courtyard meant for light and ventilation. These palatial houses were built keeping in mind the arid weather that would keep the house cool and ventilated during harsh weathers. The sloping roofs aided in collecting water for household chores, the excess of which would eventually flow through an outlet and get collected in the village tank.

The open courtyards were, by far, my favourite part of these mansions. It may have served many purposes back then but for me, it served as a place to stand and wonder about the grand old days of the past. 

There are about 40 villages that consist of these mansions, and they are beautifully lined along the narrow lanes in and around Karaikudi. Kanadkathan is the village that houses many mansions; it is a quaint, little sleepy village that seems to take you back in time. The whole village can best be explored on foot. While many mansions have been converted into boutique hotels, others have been occupied by elderly couple or left to the mercy of caretakers. VVR Mansion and SASRM Mansion are open for tourists with an entry fee of Rs. 50 per head. And for the ones that have been converted to hotels, one can pre-book a lunch and get a chance to view the interiors of the property. We chose the Chettinad Mansion for lunch while in Kanadkathan. Though most of the hotel restaurants are overpriced, they served one of the best Chettinad thalis. 

The empty streets of Kanadkathan

A mansion in Kanadkathan which was at the mercy of caretakers

The outer wall of the same mansion

SASRM Mansion

VVR Mansion

Other hotels worth visiting are the Bangala, Chidambara Vilas, Saratha Vilas. The Bangala and Chidambara Vilas are quite popular landmarks in the area, the former for its hospitality and latter for the sheer grandeur of the mansion. Since we stayed in Chidambara Vilas for a day, it definitely needs a separate post to do justice to its' opulent beauty.  

Another place of equal importance that cannot be missed during this trip is a visit to the Athangudi village. The handmade Athangudi tiles are famous for its unique patterns, there are several factories in the village that allow the visitors to witness the process of making each tile by skilled laborers. Some factories even allow the tourists to try their hand in the making. The village is also an abode for one of the most colourful palaces in the area. The palace may look like a regular house in a village from the outside but as soon as one enters the front porch, they are immediately attracted to the colourful glazed tiles used on the walls and the stained-glass arches. 

Chettinad Palace/Raja's Palace that is not open for public due to property dispute

The open courtyard of Chettinad Mansion that has been converted into a boutique hotel

Grand interiors of Chettinad Mansion

View from the terrace of Chidambara Vilas

Visible grandeur of Chidambara Vilas as soon as one enters! 

The stunningly intricate wooden carvings at the main entrance of Chidambara Vilas

Inside Athangudi Palace

All the important mansions and the village tour can be completed in two days. Of course, you will need more time if you are an antique lover! The antique market of Karaikudi has much to offer and can take half a day if you would like to dig in some unique brass, enamel and metalware while bargaining a good deal with the shopkeepers. While some shopkeepers are generous, some are stone-hearted and would not reduce a rupee. 

Monsoon magic in Malshej Ghat

 A trip to the state of Maharashtra during the monsoon was long due in the bucket list. Of course, a trek to any one of the innumerable forts of the state was the ideal way to relish the true beauty of the place.  But gradual research had revealed that many of them were quite demanding in terms of physical strength and stamina. And we were definitely not in the mind set for a trek this time. After lot of contemplation about several forts and ghats, the list was brought down to two places: Lohagad fort (that was considered ‘easy’ in terms of difficulty level) and Malshej ghat (to enjoy the scenic view of uncountable number of waterfalls).

A separate blogpost will follow for more details on Lohagad fort. I am sticking to Malshej ghat for this one.

Since it was third in our list of itinerary, the drive to Malshej had started at the base of Lohagad fort and had passed through Lonavala and Khandala. The winding roads of the ghat and the backdrop against which the buildings stood during the drive had made us stop several times. The building complexes looked like tiny, packed boxes against the background of lush green mountains with crevices made exclusively for waterfalls. I envied the people who had a chance to live those buildings with such a view to behold each day of the monsoon.

A 3-hour drive of 130 kms in drizzling rain along the way and a late afternoon snack of vada pav had brought us to the base of Malshej ghat. The whole stretch of road bore the colours in shades of green and the hillocks that rose between them added a new dimension and depth to the landscape. It was the first trip where we (my daughter and I) shot the most number of videos instead of photos. 

Breathtaking view throughout the way...

Malshej is often referred to as the Rain Traveller's Abode. Its numerous lakes, waterfalls and mountains make it a favourite spot among trekkers and local tourists. Harishchandragad fort and Kalu waterfall trek are the most famous treks around this region which we hope to complete sometime in future. Malshej is one of the numerous mountain passes in the Sahyadri mountain ranges. In historic times, it was used by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to gain access to Deccan plateau.

Though most travellers from Mumbai and Pune make a one-day trip to the place (weekends being an exception), we had decided to stay at the base of the ghat and spend the next day exploring the whole stretch of ghat. 

After reaching the base village, we were definitely tempted to drive towards the ghat for once. We were sure that the crowd would be very less since it was a weekday. Though thick fog enveloped the stretch, we drove another 10 kms ahead of our hotel and stopped at various small waterfalls for a quick play. Eventually, the visibility grew so low that we had to drive back. 

Various viewpoints at Malshej Ghat

Casa De Recurso, the hotel hidden amidst the lush greens of the place, were very good hosts with compact rooms and delicious food served at night. 

The reminder that the following day was a Saturday and we had to avoid the crowd had driven us out of our beds and to be back on road. And as expected the crowd was dense and the fog very similar to previous evening. We drove through various viewpoints that are thoughtfully constructed. The best among them being the Car Wash point (where the water from cliff falls directly onto the roof of the car while driving) and the Tunnel point. The end point of these viewpoints is the place where the MTDC hotel is located further which is the Pimpalgaon Joga backwater, highly popular for camping. It is the location to reach the base village Khubi Phata for the most spectacular Kalu Waterfall trek (which is still in the bucket list).  

Pimpalgaon Joga lake and dam

By late afternoon, the fog lifted and revealed us sights unmatched by anything else. There were shades of green as far as our eyes could see which was broken by either the white waterfalls or the brown mountains. After completing the journey by late afternoon, we had devoured on a meal of Bhakri and Thecha (a Maharashtrian specialty chutney) only to end the journey on a bad note with a lost network and maps and losing our way towards Pune. With low fuel and no petrol bunks near our sight, we drove towards Thane instead of Pune. When we thought things were getting under control, we were stuck in a traffic on the expressway due to the long weekend madness! 

Village scenes from Malshej ghat

The landscape enveloped in fog 

A small video of the foggy drive ...

Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara

The sole purpose of traveling to Vadodara during a family trip to Ahmedabad was to visit Laxmi Vilas Palace and Tambekar wada. If you have missed reading about Tambekar wada, read it here. 

A less than two hours drive from Ahmedabad through the immaculate Expressway had taken us to the city of 'Banyan trees'. Vadodara- is believed to be a corrupt form of the Sanskrit word 'Vatodar' that means belly of a Banyan tree. The British changed its name to Baroda to ease the pronunciation. But, in1974 it was renamed Vadodara. The wide and clean roads of  Vadodara that sit on the banks of Vishwamitri River had welcomed us to our first stop of that day- the Laxmi Vilas Palace. 

Built on a whopping 700 acres of land, the Laxmi Vilas Palace is reputed to be four times the size of Buckingham Palace. The palace was built during the reign of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III in 1890 with an estimated cost of 180,000 pounds. Interestingly, Maharaja Sayajirao was the first Indian ruler to introduce compulsory and free education in 1906. 

The Maharaja named the palace after his third wife, Rani Laxmibai from Tanjore. Set inside a sprawling ground replete with greenery and golf courses, it was initially designed by Major Charles Mant who had designed the palace in Kolhapur. However, the Major committed suicide out of guilt later convinced that the palace would not be stable but the palace withstood the tests of time and proved Mant to be wrong. Later, the palace was completed by Robert Fellowes.

It was originally built for only two people-the royal couple, with astonishingly 170 rooms in it! The palace architecture is a perfect blend of Indo Sarcenic architecture- with Mughal styled domes, Hindu and Jain motifs, and towers that resemble European style. The stones came from as far as Pune, Ajmer, and Agra. The palace's façade is made of golden stones from Songarh mines that give it a distinctive golden shine in dark and in the early morning. It is an amalgamation of details from nativity with a room for modern comfort and amenities. 

The royal family still resides in the palace, hence only a few sections of the palace are open to the public. About 10 sections to be more precise. The sections that are open to the public include the Durbar Hall, Gaddi/Coronation Hall, the Royal Armory/ Pratap Shastragarh, the Museum, and the Gardens. 

The Durbar Hall is exquisite with chandeliers (sadly they were all covered in white cloth)and bright Belgian stained glass windows. This engineering marvel which is 95 feet long was built without any supporting pillars. The first floor of the hall has intricately carved jharokhas.  

The Coronation Hall is special as it has some of the most sought-after paintings from Raja Ravi Verma. In 1881, Raja Ravi Verma was invited by Sir. R. Madhavrao, the British Regent of the State of Vadodara, to paint the ceremonial portrait of Sayajorao III, the Gaekwad of Baroda. A special studio was created for him in the palace. During this stay, Raja Ravi Verma painted two dozens of paintings depicting episodes from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and a good number of life-like portraits of the royal family. Paintings like Nala-Daayanthi, Radha-Madhava, Shantanu-Matsyagandhi are some of the examples that are on display in the Coronation Hall. Check out the family portraits created by Raja Ravi Verma in the following link 

The armory or Pratap Shastrgar houses some unique sword collections. There are charts depicting different parts of a sword. The Sunken Gardens, is the famous garden located just outside the mansion. A little walk in the garden, and pass through the fountain to get a panoramic view of the entire palace. 

Some facts to be aware of for planning  a visit to the palace

Photography inside the palace is strictly prohibited.

Audio guides are available that take you through  the rooms and corridors of the palace as well as back in time to tell you stories about the rajas.

The entrance ticket is exorbitantly priced! Can't expect it to be reasonable like the Government property. WE have had similar experiences at Bangalore Palace. 

The staff is very rude.

Stakna Monastery- a picture perfect wonderland

If there was one photograph that was etched in my memory of Ladakh even before visiting it was that of Stakna Monastery. Soon after the first glimpse, I had looked up for information and various other photographs about the monastery and it seemed to have emerged from a wonderland.

I got the first glimpse of the stunning monastery on our way to Pangong. Sadly, our 'not so friendly' driver had brushed us aside saying that would be our stop on our way back from Pangong. And I knew that would be only after two days. Cursing him, I had only wished that I wouldn't miss seeing the beauty of monastery as well as that of Indus river which makes it a popular view point for tourists.

To my utter dismay, on the way back from Pangong the weather turned so bad that it was extremely cloudy at one end and snowy on the other! It even drizzled at few places. I was convinced that the moment I was waiting for wouldn't be the same. Surprisingly, as we approached the vicinity of the monastery the clouds cleared, the drizzling stopped and there was the brilliance of sunshine ahead of us! My joy had no limits. I then realized, because of the rain and the sunshine that followed the whole area was illuminated as if emerging from a magical land. The slow moving water of Indus, the autumn colors on the Poplar trees stood out in that light. As we stepped out of the car, we witnessed a rainbow right next to the monastery. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. 

The following photographs do no justice to equal its beauty but am sure they will take your breath away. 

 View of the monastery from across the view point

The sky after the rain...can you spot the monastery?

A closer look at the monastery

P.S. Ignore the zip line rope that runs across in each photograph. It's just an example how natural beauty can be ruined in the name of tourism.

Unfortunately, we did not visit the monastery from inside but I did not feel it was necessary too. The view that I had encountered had given me enough satisfaction.

Some quick Facts about Stakna Monastery:

- It is about 25 kms from Leh city.

-It was founded in the 16th century by a Bhutanese scholar Chosje Jamyang Palkar.

-Stakna literally means 'a tiger's nose'. Since it was built on a hill that shaped like a tiger's nose, it was named so.

Thiksey Monastery

Visiting numerous monasteries for almost 10 days that we spent in Ladakh hadn't brought down our spirit to look at one more on the last day; each and every 'Gompa' beckoned us with something different in its store. Every monastery in Ladakh has various forms of Buddha depicted in them- Maitreya, Avalokiteshwar, Sakyamuni and so on. The shades of red, white and ochre painted on each quarters of the monasteries appealed to us every time we looked at a cliff from which they literally 'hung'. It was like the cliffs wanted to disrobe themselves of their barren cloaks and wanted to be painted in colours so there came up a monastery but with as much simplicity as possible. But Thiksey cannot be termed simple; it is grand. It is grand in scale-it is one of the largest monasteries in Ladakh and it is grand in its beauty- the colourful mural arts with contrasting pillars and paintings are proof of it. The drive to the top of the hill where it is located is an example of it's grandeur. Situated at an altitude of 11,800 feet with 12 storied structures cannot be called 'simple'. 

Thiksey Monastery view

Mural paintings on the wall

Colourful walls and pillars

This picture-postcard perfect monastery was founded by the Gelupka sect in 15th century and built under the guidance of Tsongkhapa by his disciple Sherab Sangpo. Overlooking the vast Indus valley, Thikey is called as 'Mini Potala' as it resembles the Potala palace in Tibet. The main attraction of this 'Gompa' is the 49 feet (covers two stories) Maitreya Buddha statue built in 1970 to commemorate the visit of Dalai Lama to this monastery. 

According to popular legend, Sherab Sangpo along with his disciple Paden Zangpo was performing a ritual by offering 'torma' (made with flour and butter) when a crow grabbed the torma and flew away. After searching, they found the torma at a hill but in same order and not consumed by the crow. This was considered auspicious and they decided to build the monastery on the exact location. Thiksey means 'perfect order', in accordance with the order in which the crow had placed the torma.

The huge prayer wheel

Smaller prayer wheels on the way

Ascending the monasteries in Ladakh is a breathtaking experience- in two ways. Breathtaking it is because of the landscape that you get to experience as you go up and breathtaking it is also because you literally have to stop ofttimes  to catch your breath! Each time we climbed one flight of stairs, we would stop to take few minutes to enjoy the view and catch up with some air too. There is a new dimension added to the beauty of colourful poplar trees of autumn against the clear blue skies and snow capped mountain ranges at every corner of the monastery. 

The main attraction of the monastery is the Maitreya Buddha statue built in 1970. It took four years for the craftsmen to build the statue that stands at a height of 49 feet covering two stories (we get to see only face of the Buddha as entry is denied for the first storey). The statue is made of clay and copper and painted with gold. The interiors of the hall are completely filled with mural paintings depicting life events of Buddha. A quiet peace filled our hearts as we entered the Statue hall and the tiny window in front of the statue filled our eyes with awe-inspiring landscape. 

Maitreya Buddha statue

Window of happiness

No sooner had we come out of the Buddha statue hall than we entered another hall where there was plenty of Ladakhi 'butter tea' offered to all the visitors. The butter tea had failed to impress me all those 10 days and I knew this day would be no different but my husband had acquired the taste for it and wasn't ready to miss a cup or two. 

There are two main temples in Thiksey- the Tara temple and Lomakhang temple. Tara (also known as 'Mother of Liberation') is an important figure in Mahayana Buddhism who is appears as a female Bodhisattva. There are 12 images of Tara placed in wooden shelves in this temple.

Lamokhang temple is repository of scriptures where only men are allowed. 

View from the topmost point of the monastery

The mountains and the poplar trees

The more higher we went up the monastery, the beauty of the monastery looked miniscule as the overlooking landscapes took its place. Every corner gives a stunning panoramic view of the mountain ranges with patches of green and yellow poplar trees. And, we had decided to absorb all the beauty in our eyes and hearts leisurely as it was our last day of our trip!