I had a fabulous weekend on the outskirts of Chennai and the destination finds itself as this week's highlight :)
If you reside in South India and are a lover of art, crafts, history and architecture, then the one place you shouldnt miss is 'DakhinaChitra'(which literally means 'picture of the south') located about 25 kilometers from Chennai on East Coast Road,Muthukadu(Chinglepet district,Tamil Nadu). And if you are a visitor to Chennai, mark this as one of your destinations where you can spend a whole day and still not have enough of the place!
Spread over 10 acres next to the Bay of Bengal(and open to visitors between 10 a.m to 6 p.m on all days except tuesday), its a 'centre for the living traditions of arts, folk performing arts, craft and architecture of India with an emphasis on the traditions of South India'. Set up by the Madras Crafts Foundation, the main attraction of the centre are 17 heritage houses from the four South Indian states. I still recall the awe when I first visited the place way back in 1998. It was a history lesson like no other. For instance, the Kerela section has relocated houses like the 'Syrian Christian House','Kootathukulam House','Hindu House' and the Tamil Nadu section, the 'Chettinad House' from Aryakudi, 'Brahmin House' from Ambur,'Potter's House' from Tiruvallur,'Agriculturist's House' from Mayavaram district among others.
What is noteworthy is that not just the outward structure but even the interiors are mostly original dating back upto the 19th century. As you walk down the lanes lined by these houses, you get transported to a different time and era. The breathtaking murals, the Ravi Varma oleographs, the original family photographs from a bygone era, the one man shadow puppet show enacting scenes from 'Kamba Ramayanam', history of the Tamil script from the 3rd century BC onwards, tracing the history of Tamil Nadu from the Paloelithic age, the 'Kili Joshiyam'(parrot fortune telling), the journey of the Ikkat from dyeing to weaving, the different artisans at work, the folk art performances etc are endearing introductions to the rich and diverse traditions of South India and beyond.
With its objective to preserve and promote art, craft, and folk art performances, DakshinaChitra regularly conducts workshops on papier mache craft,tanjore painting, terracotta pottery,Indigo dyeing, mural painting and many many more art forms. You can check out the calender of events here for this year. There's a 2 year programme in Arts Management starting in July this year, those interested in further details can check out www.mcfiam.org/
If you wish to soak in the ambience for more than a day then there are modest accommodation options priced reasonably.
When we are talking of beauty and learning of this magnitude, nothing can explain better than images so I leave you with some of my captures :)
If you reside in South India and are a lover of art, crafts, history and architecture, then the one place you shouldnt miss is 'DakhinaChitra'(which literally means 'picture of the south') located about 25 kilometers from Chennai on East Coast Road,Muthukadu(Chinglepet district,Tamil Nadu). And if you are a visitor to Chennai, mark this as one of your destinations where you can spend a whole day and still not have enough of the place!
Spread over 10 acres next to the Bay of Bengal(and open to visitors between 10 a.m to 6 p.m on all days except tuesday), its a 'centre for the living traditions of arts, folk performing arts, craft and architecture of India with an emphasis on the traditions of South India'. Set up by the Madras Crafts Foundation, the main attraction of the centre are 17 heritage houses from the four South Indian states. I still recall the awe when I first visited the place way back in 1998. It was a history lesson like no other. For instance, the Kerela section has relocated houses like the 'Syrian Christian House','Kootathukulam House','Hindu House' and the Tamil Nadu section, the 'Chettinad House' from Aryakudi, 'Brahmin House' from Ambur,'Potter's House' from Tiruvallur,'Agriculturist's House' from Mayavaram district among others.
What is noteworthy is that not just the outward structure but even the interiors are mostly original dating back upto the 19th century. As you walk down the lanes lined by these houses, you get transported to a different time and era. The breathtaking murals, the Ravi Varma oleographs, the original family photographs from a bygone era, the one man shadow puppet show enacting scenes from 'Kamba Ramayanam', history of the Tamil script from the 3rd century BC onwards, tracing the history of Tamil Nadu from the Paloelithic age, the 'Kili Joshiyam'(parrot fortune telling), the journey of the Ikkat from dyeing to weaving, the different artisans at work, the folk art performances etc are endearing introductions to the rich and diverse traditions of South India and beyond.
With its objective to preserve and promote art, craft, and folk art performances, DakshinaChitra regularly conducts workshops on papier mache craft,tanjore painting, terracotta pottery,Indigo dyeing, mural painting and many many more art forms. You can check out the calender of events here for this year. There's a 2 year programme in Arts Management starting in July this year, those interested in further details can check out www.mcfiam.org/
If you wish to soak in the ambience for more than a day then there are modest accommodation options priced reasonably.
When we are talking of beauty and learning of this magnitude, nothing can explain better than images so I leave you with some of my captures :)
No comments:
Post a Comment