On a hot summer day in my native place Attangudi Muthupattanam, I was spending my vacation in my ‘‘Appathas” house. One fine day, a fellow came inside my house where I and my Appatha were chatting in our Thinnai. He asked my Appatha “Achi, Do you have any old materials for sale”. My Appatha immediately denied saying “There is nothing for sale”. He went off. Then I asked my Appatha about that. I was wondering how they buy these old materials (antiques) from Chettiandu at a very cheaper price from Achis and Chettiars of this age and they sell for huge margin to foreigners.

My house is big enough in my native place and there were a lot of paintings hanging on the walls. Though they are very attractive I didn’t know the very important heritage behind it. After this incident I spent more time in the internet to find out the following. The one which was glittering in the walls of Chettinadu houses are “Ravi Varma” replicas. (They are prints made from the original Ravi Varma paintings). Oil Paintings of Gods -By Raja Ravi Varma (29th April 1848 – 2nd October 1906) was born in Kilimanoor Palace (the home to the erstwhile rulers of Travancore) in Thiruvananthapuram,Kerala, India. Raja Ravi Varma was a famous Indian painter noted for his marvelous paintings from the great Indian epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The Government of Kerala has instituted an award called Raja Ravi Varma Puraskaram, considering Ravi Varma’s contribution to Indian art, which is awarded annually to people who show excellence in the field of art and culture.  Here are some famous pictures of Raja Ravi Varma paintings on Gods & Goddesses. 

Picture of Lord Vishnu with Goddess Lakshmi Devi and Bhumi Devi - Ravi Varma Paintings. When you go to your native again, I request all the Chettiars to have a close look at these pictures and I appeal them to preserve these wonderful heritages and I am proud that Chettiars were so advanced in their living style.