The diary is dog-like and gravy-stained, frayed at the edges, its pages sepia. The old grandfather clock in the foyer stands sentinel on the Burma teak staircase which creaks with the weight of history.
A page from the diary of Umayal Palaniappan | Photo Credit: R Ravindran
Umayal Palaniappan through the diary, strangely ageless, in a mixture of English and Tamil, neatly handwritten, draws attention to the cuisine and the festival in particular, Kollam. show more pages Payasam Varieties, names of utensils typical and essential items for Chettiar kitchen like Floor Kothu And Thandu Used to decorate cows during Pongal. Diary for Umayal, Nagarathar has been a ready reckoner of all things ever since she came to this British-era house as a young bride.
author of Umayal Palaniappan Nagarthar Way, at home in Chennai | Photo Credit: R Ravindran
“My mother-in-law was the disciplinarian. One of the few women who could drive a car in the 1960s, she asked me to write down everything she had determined to survive the community’s way of life,” says 60-year-old Umayal. Over the years, Umayal , currently the Vice President of the Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, became deeply involved in preserving the Nagarathar lifestyle.
A picture from the book | photo credit: special arrangement
Also known as Nattukottai Chettiar, the community lived along the coast in the trade of salt and gems during the Sangam age. They migrated to the Tamil hinterland centuries ago after a tsunami, living in a cluster of villages that offer little in the way of natural beauty apart from scattered palms and dry weather. With the advent of colonialism, the Nagarathars became successful moneylenders and prospered far beyond Indian shores – in Burma, Malaya, Singapore and Vietnam – but they always returned to live in the land they called home. Here, he poured his new-found wealth into his Palladian and Art-Deco-inspired homes, brightening them with rose-lacquered tiles from Birmingham, Murano chandeliers, teak pillars from Burma, and etched mirrors from Belgium. He also invested heavily in philanthropy, establishing schools and colleges, and funding charitable organizations.
With the fall of South-East Asia to the invading Japanese during World War II, the dream of the Chettinad diaspora was largely over. Burmese nationalism, insurgency in Malaya, Indo-China war and socialism in Ceylon further eroded the economic foundations of this prosperous community. And mansions that once stood as a proud mark of wealth became silent outposts, to be discovered only by travelers who had lost their way.
A picture from the book | photo credit: special arrangement
“When the younger generation of the community migrated to the west, the old ways of life gradually disappeared. When my nephew got married, my mother, sisters and I thought of gifting a book on Nagarathar culture as a gift. It would be a good idea to give it. So, we wrote it in Tamil. Then someone suggested that an English book would have a wider reach. So we translated it and embellished it with photographs,” says Umayal.
book jacket | photo credit: special arrangement
Nagarthar Way Umayal and a team effort of “my siblings and their families, in-laws, friends and others in the community” is a 200-page coffee table book on the customs, rituals and cuisine of the community. It follows the chronology of festivals in the Tamil calendar, starting with the new year, and how the Nagarathars celebrate them. It highlights festivals that have faded from memory such as Aavani Ganayiru Pongal and Aapsee Mudhal Mujukku. It highlights the rich kolams that adorned their hearths and the sumptuous dishes that were served on banana leaves. Ilandosai and Kalakandu Vadai dishes jostle for space with Thattappayiru Manga Kuzhambu. Finally, the book devotes a few pages to the Nagarathar lingo and his unusual way of addressing close relations.
A picture from a book displaying sweets and namkeen prepared for the first Diwali of a newly wed couple | photo credit: special arrangement
“The recipes were never written down but obtained from different families. Standardization and testing took some time,” says Umayal. Work on the book began in 2019, and help and guidance came from his niece Valli Vairavan, language experts, professors, doctoral papers and other books on the community.
Despite the pandemic’s interference, photographers Claire Arney and Selvaprakash Lakshmanan traveled to Chettinad to capture moments from Nagarathar’s life with both incredible beauty and clarity.
Shot in old havelis with mildew-like edging pools on the pediment, and gem-like tones lighting up the interiors, the photographs are taken by family members who ‘participate’ in various festival celebrations. Dressed in traditional finery – checked saris and diamond chokers, gold-bordered dhoti and turbans, kolam making, spice grinding, and auspicious conch shell blowing – they paint vivid pictures of a way of life that Umayal hopes to that more people will follow.
“The Nagarathars have been carrying on the tradition even while living abroad. As more of them return to their roots, I hope the book will help guide them.
Nagarthar Way It is priced at ₹1,800 and is available at Amethyst, Whites Road and Manzil Store, MRC Nagar, Chennai. For details, call 7200199318.