Actupondy - The Pondicherry Guide

Tourism

Chettinad

In Tamil Nadu, there is a really amazing little place: The Chettinad area. About 100 km from Madurai ( and more than 200 km from Pondy). Comprising around 75 villages, with Karaikudi as the capital. This area at one time was inhabited by a thriving community of bankers and traders who have left around the end of the XIXe and begining of XX e century, but kept their ancestral homes

Today, these villages are a bit out of time, you would move around uninhabited streets lined by old neglected palaces. Some are still used for weddings or other family' occasions, others are turned into hotels, or are used as backdrops for movies.

To see inside these palaces, it is common to give a tip to the watchman.

For more info :
karaikudi.net/
www.karaikudi.com/

Here are some photos of this unexpected spot :

<p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Si vous vous baladez dans le Tamil Nadu, il est un petit coin assez étonnant. Il s’agit de la région de Chettinad, à environ 100km de Madurai (et un peu plus de 200 de Pondichéry). Composée de quelque 75 villages, dont Karaikudi est la capitale, cette région était autrefois habitée par une prospère communauté de banquiers et hommes d’affaires qui ont quitté la région ou le pays à la fin du XIXème et début du XXème siècle.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Aujourd’hui ces villages sont un peu hors du temps, on se balade dans les rues désertes bordées de vieux palais en piteux états, à l’abandon pour la plupart. Certains sont occupés à l’occasion de mariages ou autres réunions de famille, d’autres ont été transformés en hôtels, ou servent pour des tournages de films.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p style="text-align: justify;" class="MsoNormal">Pour visiter les palais, il suffit en général de payer un pourboire au gardien.</p> <p>Pour en savoir plus :<a target="_blank" href="http://www.karaikudi.net/"><br /><img style="vertical-align: bottom;" alt="web" src="/images/stories/web.png" height="15" width="35" />karaikudi.net/</a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.karaikudi.com/"><br /><img style="vertical-align: bottom;" alt="web" src="/images/stories/web.png" height="15" width="35" />karaikudi.com/</a></p> <p>Voici quelques images de ce coin inattendu…<br /><br /><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/1.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/1.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/2.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/2.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/3.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/3.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/4.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/4.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/5.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/5.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/6.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/6.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/7.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/7.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/8.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/8.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/9.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/9.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/10.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/10.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/11.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/11.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><a href='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/12.jpg' rel='colorboxgallery[artgallery_4f34dee02633e]' class='artcolorboxpreview'><img class='artsexylightbox'  src='http://www.actupondy.com/images/stories/chettinad/12.jpg'  height='85' width='85' /></a><script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8">jQuery.noConflict();if (!window.colorboxEnabled) {jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery("a[rel^='colorboxgallery']").colorbox({"path":"images/stories/chettinad","transition":"elastic","speed":350,"opacity":0.85,"preloading":1,"overlayClose":1,"slideshow":true,"slideshowSpeed":3000,"theme":1,"noConflict":1,"previewWidth":85,"previewHeight":85,"title":true});});} if (!window.colorboxEnabled) {window.colorboxEnabled = true;}</script></p> <p>PUB http://www.thebangala.com/ ????<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt;">

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