Chettinad through Meena Sriram's Lens.

Meena Sriram's passion for Chettinad Architechture and photography is amply evident in her work. So when she sent me her photography links on flickr, I knew I just had to share it with all of you here. Meena is an expat who lives in Canada now and in her own words "I belong to the Chettiar community,our chettinad ancestral homes are basically inspired by colonial and palace architecture, its really such a beautiful blend of traditional indian architecture mixed with different European styles and this was really the outcome of the Chettiars interest and involvement in trade, travel and tradition." This collage was made from pictures from the Bangala Homestay site. Its totally worth checking out.

"The airy courtyard..intricately carved wooden doors..teak pillars..stained Glass windows... belgian glasswork..the most beautiful ceramic tiles ever......growing up, i always took the rituals and culture of chettinad for granted, it was who i was..after moving to another country altogether, i have a renewed sense of respect and i stand in awe of so rich a heritage and i can never stop marvelling at the design aesthethics and splendour of these chettinad mansions." Meena Sriram

Love the yellow painted Tulsi planter which is mandatory in traditional Indian courtyards

interesting bulb holders :)

Earlier known as "Senjai Bangala", The Bangala is now in its 10th year as a heritage stay. The origins of The Bangala dates back to around 1910, when all the lands were bought and consolidated into one property.The first building which is the front office room and the verandah around it was built at that time.

Meena Sriram's lens beautifully captures the subtle moods of the day

And I loved everything about this picture, the composition, the colours and how effectively it evokes traditional Chettinad.