6 what are the Chettinad Elements From Heritage Mansions
The Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu is acclaimed for its gorgeous traditional mansions belonging to the old mercantile, agricultural and land-owning families, who titled themselves Chettiar or Chetti. These are known to be designed according to Vastu Shastra and constructed with local materials, crafts and construction techniques that responded to the local climate of that area. Chettiar architecture is also famous for its luxurious scale, vivid colours, wood carvings and even imported materials from all over the world, such as Burma teak, Italian marble, Belgian glass and so on. Although this kind of architecture has witnessed a decline, giving way to modern, contemporary designs, there is hope, as some elements have seen a resurgence in new home designs.
Here are six design elements that you can incorporate into your own home to capture the essence of Chettinad architecture.
1. Multiple courtyards
The Chettinad homes were planned around extensive courtyards (at least two) and deeply-shaded verandahs that opened into the rooms and other functional spaces. These areas established an excellent inside-outside connect that brought in ample natural light, allowed cross-ventilation and kept the rooms cool against the summer heat. The courtyards were specially designated for entertaining guests and bringing the family together during festivals and religious ceremonies.
2. Typical entrances
The entrances or the reception foyer at the entrance of Chettinad bungalows were known as Mugappu. They were elaborately detailed and embellished with wooden handicrafts, sculptures and stucco.
3. Richly carved wooden doors
The antique doors of many Chettinad mansions were carved in Burma teak that imparted warmth and grandeur to entrances. The door panels, frames and mouldings were heavily embellished with mythical scenes, elaborate carvings and sculptures of deities from the Hindu epics.
4. Athangudi tiles
Athangudi village in the Chettinad region is famous for its patterned athangudi tiles. These tiles are handmade by skilled craftsmen with locally available clay, which is burnt and then glazed. They are available in bright colours and designs, and have an interesting sheen which is neither too shiny nor too dull.
5. Carved pillars
A typical Chettiar home usually had intricately carved pillars in wood, stone or granite to support the sloping roofs, especially around the courtyards. The design of pillars was given a lot of importance; as a result the upper and lower portions of the pillars were minutely detailed.


The walls of the Chettiar mansions were finished with a special type of plaster that was locally known as Muthu Poochchu or ‘Chettinad Egg plaster’. The primary ingredients of this plaster were egg white, ground-up sea shells and limestone or chalk. This plaster gave the walls a mirror-like sheen, kept the place cool during the hot and humid Indian summers and lasted a lifetime.4
6. Pitched roofs
Pitched (sloping) roofs are a prominent feature of Chettinad mansions. These roofs not only provided an expansive volume of the enclosed space but also ensured ecological sustainability as the slopes allowed collection of water during monsoons for rainwater harvesting.