Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal built (in 1636) by Thirumalai Nayakar at Madurai, intended this palace to be one of the grandest in South India. The design and architecture is a blend of Dravidian and Rajasthani styles. The interior is richly decorated whilst the exterior is treated in a more austere style. This palace is situated 2 km south east of the Meenakshi Amman Temple. The original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure.
The steps leading up to the central hall were formerly flanked by two equestrian statues of excellent workmanship. As you can witness, part of this is still standing the test of time and various historical events & wars. The throne in the center was incidentally lit by the ambient light from the stained glass windows by the dome. The palace constructed using foliated brickwork was finished in exquisite stucco called chunnam (shell lime) mixed with egg white to obtain a smooth and glossy texture. This probably inspired the Natukottai Chettiars, 200 years later in their own construction.
Sony A7III : Sony 16-35 mm : ISO 800 : 16 mm : f8.0 : 1/1000 sec
Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
The Chettinad region around Sivaganga district is well known for its 19th-century mansions, whose wide courtyards and spacious rooms are embellished with marble and teak – imported from around the world like Italy and Burma. Along with the exotic imports, local legend has it that even things like egg whites were used to get the smooth texture on the walls.
Chettiars were a mercantile community involved with commerce, banking and money lending from as early as Chola and Pandiya kingdom. Much of their profits went into building these grand residences, which used to be called natukottai or regional fort.
Some of the Chettinad homes are so big that their entrance and exits are on parallel streets. The distant door on this shot opens up to the cooking area and the inner courtyards. Can you imagine – what you see below is just one of the several courtyards that spawn up the Natukottai.
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f4.5 : 1.5 sec
Nemam Temple near Karikudi is one among the 9 temples connected with the Nagarathar community. The nine temples connected with the Nagarathar or Natukottai chettiyar include: Ilayathakudi, Iluppaikkudi, Iraniyur, Mathur, Nemam, Pillayarpatti, Soorakudi, Vairavan, and Velangudi. Some of these like Pillayarpatti are more prominent than others.
But the intricate work at Nemam temple makes it stand out. Sculptures in the temple are so artistic, minute and sharp. The prakaram around the inner sanctum was definitely an architectural splendor. One could sense how accurate these were laid out. The windows on the top brings in the right amount of sun to light up the prakaram and the beauty of the sculptures.
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f3.5 : 8.0 sec
Just a short drive from Karaikudi is lraniyur, which hosts this lovely Aatkondanathar Swami temple. As the first rays of the sun hit, birds chirped all around, accompanied by the cool and pristine breeze – one is just teleported to a different world and time !
The history goes that Lord Narasimha incurred a dosha for killing demon Hiranya. He worshipped Lord Shiva for relief. Lord Shiv granted darshan to Lord Narashima and cleansed him of His dosha.
Like the Ocean 