10/100: Chettinad. The land of the Nagarathar or the Nattukottai Chettiars. A place that knew nothing but prosperity, at one point. This community of maritime businessmen, traders and merchant bankers went as far as Burma, Malaysia, Ceylon and Singapore to make a living. The man of the house would go away on his travels while the Aachi, the lady of the house, held fort. The aachi wielded a lot of power and authority; she controlled the finances with a tight fist and kept up the social standing of the family. She was also responsible for whipping up those culinary delights that have put Chettinad cuisine on the gastronomical map. The incomparable vazhaipoo vadai, holds a very special place in my life! Needless to say, the Aachi loved her sarees too. Chettinad sarees are characterized by their bold checks and stripes and unusual colour contrasts with zari borders. Cotton or silk, these sarees are rich, reflecting the grandeur of the place they come from.

Having heard stories about Chettiars from my grandmother, who lived for a while in Karaikudi, the most important town that constituted Chettinad, I was always fascinated by the history, culture, cuisine and practices of this community. I had read up a lot about Chettiars and was dying to visit the area. My first trip to Chettinad was in 2012, where we stayed at the Chettinad Mansion in Kanadukathan, which is a majestic Chettiar house, complete with tiles from Italy, columns from England, pillars made of Burma teak, a sprawling courtyard and opulent rooms. We were looked after like royalty! No trip to Chettinad is complete without shopping and the sarees just have to be bought. Off we went, straight to the weaver’s house and plonked ourselves in his front thinnai! We were surrounded by sarees in myriad hues and designs while my eyes fell on this off-beat dark blue and dull yellow number with a striking herring bone patterned zari border. I wasn’t entirely sure if I should pick it up. Would it make me look older? Where would I wear it to? Should I just pick up running material instead to make tops out of? This kid spits up on me so often, what’s the point? So many thoughts were running through my head but the good thing about shopping with my mother-in-law is that she’s extremely motivating! Her shopping funda is simple: “If you like it, buy it! Don’t think it!” So when the Punjabi Aachi of our house says this, there is little choice!

I wore this saree today for a meeting with a Professor of a University. We spoke about cultural assimilation through stories and I thought to myself,