Karen enters the inner courtyard of a Chettiar mansion.

Karaikudi in Chettinad

Karaikudi in Chettinad, is a popular destination for food lovers, architectural buffs and antique hunters. Tucked into the southeastern corner of Tamil Nadu, this town and the 70 or so other villages in the area, make up the ancestral home of the Chettiyars. The Chettiyars are a class of wealthy merchants. They built their fortunes …