The Nattukottai Chettiars were merchant princes, with business interests as far-flung as Vietnam and Malaysia. And with a reputation as imposing as his name,
K. V. A. L. M. Ramnathan Chettiar was amongst the pillars of the community in the period between the wars.
Visalam was built as a gift from this doting father to his daughter Vishala. Fate decreed that the house was never used, except for occasional family weddings. A half century passed. When the property passed on to us, we knew we had to retouch, not renovate, this masterpiece. The materials we chose were faithful to the originals. The only changes made were to the cavernous inner halls, which were partitioned to create rooms.
Visalam is a century-old lovingly-restored palatial home in Kanadukathan village of the Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu. The property is located 10 km from the famous Thirumayam Fort – a remnant of the Chettinad dynasty. It offers a 24-hour front desk, free parking on property and a swimming pool.
The airy rooms comes with air-conditioning and period details like flooring with locally-made tiles. There is a private balcony, a seating space with a sofa and the room is equipped with a work desk, wardrobe and an electronic safe. The attached bathroom has hot/cold shower facilities and contains complimentary toiletries.
The restaurant has a covered terrace with access to interactive cooking experiences. There’s an outdoor pool with a café to savour a satisfactory lunch. There’s also the Shapad Shala, where you can enjoy South Indian Chettinad cuisine on a plantain leaf.
Visalam offers a 24-hour front desk and free parking on property, luggage storage facilities, library, travel desk and a concierge to assist you. Car rental and currency exchange facilities can also be availed. For those who like to work on the move, there is also a business centre.
It is located 15 km from the ancient Ayyanar Temple. Transport hubs nearby include Madurai Airport which is 90 km away, and Trichy Railway Station which is 80 km away.
An enthralling way to explore life around Visalam is to ride on a bullock cart or go bicycling. You can catch glimpses of local artisans at work, womenfolk cooking local delicacies and several other charming facets of Chettinad.
