A timeless ode to a father’s love, CGH Earth Visalam draws uncanny parallels with Christopher Nolan’s magnum opus. Honored as ‘Best Heritage Resort’ at the Tamil Nadu Tourism Awards 2025, Visalam invites you to experience a journey where time bends and stories endure.

As you pass through the sleepy streets of Kanadukathan and into the gilded gates and the buttercup-yellow façade of CGH Earth Visalam, the first thing that greets you is the sweltering Tamilian heat. On this day, a blistering 38 degrees Celsius. “We have three seasons here: hot, hotter, hottest,” our guide remarked with sanguine resignation. The second is the delicate, sweet fragrance of jasmine and kanakambaram weaving through the air. 

The warm welcome at Visalam is a sensory ritual presided over by ever-ebullient staff: men receive a traditional ceremonial veshti cloth draped with reverence; women are gifted shimmering glass bangles, symbolizing celebration and grace; and all guests are adorned with a tika, a mark of blessing and auspicious beginnings.

And an auspicious beginning it will be.

This heartfelt hospitality and immersive cultural embrace set the tone for your twoto three- day stay at CGH Earth Visalam, and indeed, Chettinad and its culture. The retreat’s blend of proud tradition, one that evolves with the times, reminded me of another enduring story from the silver screen.

The ‘Interstellar’ connection 

Much like the emotional core of Christopher Nolan’s cosmic masterpiece Interstellar (2014), Visalam’s origin story is steeped in unwavering fatherly love. Built in 1939 by KVAL Ramanathan Chettiar for his eldest daughter Visalakshi, the mansion was less a residence and more a love letter. It was a  rare gift at a time when Chettinad houses were built strictly for sons.

While Interstellar explores love transcending the boundaries of time and space, Visalam embodies that love in architecture and legacy. Like in painstakingly carved Burma teak beams, gleaming Italian marble pillars, and iron girders from Birmingham. Here, love is eternalized in stone and timber, extending beyond absence and across generations.

To give you an idea of how prosperous the Chettiyar community was at the time, for all its majesty, Visalam was never used as a primary residence. It was mostly a family retreat and ceremonial home. 

It is estimated that 11,000+ such grand mansions were built by Nattukottai Chettiar merchants in the late-19th to mid-20th centuries. As of today, roughly 30% have already been consigned to the history books. Of those that remain, about a fifth of them are tended to lovingly and open to the public. Even fewer allow you to stay. We were told that one such mansion may have a dozen heirs spread across continents, making it a near-impossible task for hotel groups to negotiate a clear sale.Just rounding up all the signatures can take decades,” our guide quipped.

The restoration

Lovingly restored by CGH Earth over nearly three years, Visalam preserves its original character while reimagining its structures for contemporary luxury. Its 15 spacious, individually air-conditioned rooms are suffused with the warmth of polished lime and egg-shell walls (fascinating to touch and having  crucial cooling properties).

Whether it’s the grand Chettinad Suite (Room 204 – approximately 485 sq. ft. or 45 m2) or the standard Chettinad Room, each room is spacious and carries traditionasl luxury and modern necessities. Tall ceilings and cooling Athangudi tiles are a feature. This tells us how the wealthy Chettiyars stayed cool during simpler times.

Four-poster teak beds, brass lamps, and private verandahs invite moments of quiet reflection amid birdsong and courtyard sunlight.Visalam’s architecture folds intimate courtyards and soaring balconies into every space, inviting guests to unwind deeply within the echo of its centuries-old stories. 

Over 50% of the staff hail from local communities, reflecting CGH Earth’s commitment to empowering the local community..

In 2025, Visalam was honoured with the Best Heritage Resort at the Tamil Nadu Tourism Awards 2025, recognising CGH Earth’s excellent work in blending heritage preservation with eco-conscious modern hospitality.

Getting there and who it’s for

CGH Earth Visalam is a scenic two-hour drive southeast of Madurai Airport, which has about a dozen daily flights from Bengaluru.. Alternatively, travellers can use the equally accessible Trichy Airport.

This stay is best for families seeking intimate celebrations steeped in heritage, corporate teams seeking quiet reflection amid magnificent heritage; history buffs, foodies, and aesthetes craving design, craft, and culinary artistry beyond the tourist trail.

On Chettinad gastronomy

Dining at Visalam is ritual and revelation, with every bite revealing more of the spice-jigsaw that is Chettinad cuisine. Your arrival meal (lunch, for us) is at the dining room adjoining an impeccably well-oiled kitchen. You are surrounded by copper pots of all sizes (Visalakshi’s dowry), while a washed banana leaf is laid out. The canvas on which their chefs paint their magic. Before you know it, your leaf is packed with a dozen vividly spiced sabzis circling a mountain of steaming rice. 

Staples like pineapple pachadi, tart and soothing; the fiery meen varuval (grilled green-bone garfish), fragrant with fennel and garlic; slow-roasted aadu kari nei roast in ghee; and the dry, peppery melagu kozhi awaken senses and memories alike.

Breakfast is served under a canopy of bougainvillea, with international and local breakfast options. Dinner is made-to-order, with an à la carte menu boasting karadai masala (Quail cooked in Chettinad spices), Chettinadu kozhi therakkal (chicken in a heady mixture of spices, a local favourite), and eral thokku masala (large prawns cooked in a tomato gravy).

Like is the case with all CGH Earth properties I have stayed at, Visalam’s chefs were thrilled to share their recipes and demonstrate how to make these flavourful dishes. A cooking demo at Visalam is a must-do — consider these an invitation not only to taste their food, but also their history. This way, you go back not only with material souvenirs, but something intangible that will impress your foodie friends and family back home. But hey,you cannot go wrong with picking up local Chettinad spices as souvenirs: anise, peppercorns and kalpasi, all of which were instrumental in making Chettinad cuisine famous.

Beyond the mansion

Around Visalam’s grand structure, pulses a vibrant world:

1. Half-day heritage tour: A six-hour journey across living relics of Chettinad culture with Siva, a hotel employee native to the region: Kanadukathan Palace, Athangudi Palace, and living residences like VVR Mansion.
2. Athangudi tile factories: Artisans handcraft tiles from river silt, cement,and natural pigments — polished with rice husks in a centuries-old, eco-friendly ritual. A must-do for design buffs!
3. Temple visits: Visit the nearby Jeyankonda Choleeshwarar Temple and its five majestic gopurams. Pro tip: combine your Visalam visit with a visit to Madurai for a skip-the-line darshan at the iconic Meenakshi Amman Temple.
4. Antique shopping: Discover vintage colonial furniture, heirloom jewellery, precious ceramics, and other treasures for travellers yearning to take home souvenirs beyond a magnet or a shot glass.
5. Guided bike rides: Pedal through sleepy villages, soaking the air thick with spice, history, and hospitality. With the sweltering daytime temperatures, consider this activity only at dawn.

In the mansion, the less tourism inclined can relax by the outdoor pool and seek consultation from their parrot-powered tarot card reader. Whether you believe in avian astronomy or not, an experience worth your time!

Why book Visalam with Panache World?

Through Panache World’s partnership with CGH Earth, we offer exclusive rates not available online. Furthermore, Visalam is best experienced as a stop on a two-journey odyssey of Chettinad its culture. CGH Earth has another fabulous property — MantraKoodam — 250km east of Visalam, which further adds to immersion. From personalized flights and luxury transfers to local expert guides and bespoke experiences, we handle the details, so you simply live the heritage.

Get in touch with us to plan your Visalam stay and experience how a fathers love can bend the very fabric of time.