Karaikudi
A ghost town of glorious mansions
The region of Tamil Nadu encompassing the towns of Karaikudi and Devakottai is known as Chettinad. The Chettiars, the wealthy merchants of the South known for their business prowess made their fortunes in India and abroad. Though many of them have moved to larger metros, their legacy lives on in the ornate ancestral mansions with pillared hallways, marble floors, and other embellishments, that they return to for a few festivals during the year. The Chettinad region is also known for its fiery hot cuisine popularized by its famous “pepper chicken”.