TAMIL NADU, INDIA, May 17, 2017 (New York Times): Driving on the main roads in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the barely there villages that materialize every few miles take on a comforting rhythm. Cement lean-tos and shacks give way to a formal grid of streets with mansion after looming mansion in various states of maintained opulence and elegant decay, their decorative facades partly hidden by high walls. Built between 1850 and 1950, these homes — some of which dwarf the grand cottages of Newport and the villas of Cap Ferrat — number over 15,000 throughout Chettinad, which covers about 600 square miles. Many have more than 60 rooms spread over interiors as large as one and a half acres.
The globe-trotting Hindu merchant and banking clan called the Nattukottai Chettiars thrived during colonialist expansion. The massive homes — at least those not abandoned due to the crushing cost of upkeep, then pillaged for the remarkable architectural details within — are still owned by the families whose ancestors built them. Few of those owners actually live in them full time now, but, like the castles and manor houses that dot the English countryside, the residences are familial status symbols of staggering heft, worrisome expense and emotional attachment. Except for salvage, they have no resale value. Who might buy an 150-year-old, 85-room villa two hours from the nearest airport in an area that modern industry has forgotten?
Much more on the Chettiar mansions, including colorful photos, at “source” above.