The earthy, regal and artisanal color palette of a town called Karaikudi in Chettinad, Tamil Nadu will captivate you from the moment you land. The natural earthy colors, architecture, beauty, history is enchanting to say the least. The place has a certain magic. A vibe that's hard to resist. A trip a few months ago, to a handloom weaver society, while working on our Chettinad collection got us inspired.
An hour's drive away from the main town, the enigmatic Chettinad palace, a majestic white building with a hint of earthy colors is of course the centre of tourist activity. But it's the quaint vintage homes down narrow roadways, small tiffin joints, open to sky courtyards, black and white tiles and lush lotus ponds that will captivate you.
Should you visit, then a must taste is the mouth watering kuzhi paniharams or fried dumplings served hot on a freshly washed banana leaf, accompanied by a variety of fragrant chutney's and finished off with a steaming glass of thick sweet filter coffee.
A town belonging to hardnosed businessmen and traders, Karaikudi is also a key textile hub in South India and a handloom weaving cluster of importance. A premier Chettinad weave saree called the 'Kandangi' recently got GI status. "The tag will now hopefully prevent knock-offs", say the weavers. An original handloom kandangi saree would be of 80's count, have a typical chequered pattern, earthy colors and contrasting borders. The saree is most often without a blouse length. There are several variations to the Kandangi nowadays.
Despite the scale of busy commercial activity, Karaikudi has managed to retain it's natural appeal and quaint, vintage enchanting charm. A large part of our collection, which is to be launched shortly is inspired by all that we saw, soaked in and experienced.
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