Karaikudi is the biggest city in Chettinad, a region best known to the outside world for its distinctive cuisine. What is less well known is that this small area, comprising about 72 villages, was the setting for a fascinating period of modern Tamil history. The Chettiar community of traders, part of this region since the Pallava Dynasty ruled here between the 4th and 9th centuries AD, reached the pinnacle of its glory between 1840 and 1940. Shrewd moneylenders and traders, they became the official moneylenders of the British Empire, soon spreading their roots to Burma, Sri Lanka, Indochina and Cambodia. The huge wealth they amassed was transferred back to villages in Chettinad, where their increasing social status and power was manifested in sumptuous possessions ranging from diamonds to brass to pewter and, most visibly, in their grand mansions.
Just as the British Empire declined, so did Chettiar fortunes after World War II, and they returned home, often having to sell their opulent possessions which can now be found in antique shops. Newer generations left their ancestral villages in Chettinadu to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Now, just the empty but impressive mansions remain, with one or two old members rattling around, keeping house with memories, photographs and bats for company.