The façade of the Mahishmati castle stands tall and proud with its turrets and ramparts regally welcoming the visitors at the Tamukkam grounds. All the key scenes from the fantasy flick are authentically depicted with golden statues and grand models. Be it the scene where Mahendra Baahubali places his foot on Kattappa’s head, Bhallaladeva tames the wild bull or the heart wrenching scene when Kattappa stabs Amarendra Baahubali from behind and Baahubali in all his glory stands atop an elephant, the poster-perfect shot when Baahubali gives archery lessons to Devasena- It’s all there! But that’s not the end of it. A dreamy replica of the fantasy white swan ship featured in the popular romantic number ‘ Ore oar ooril ’ sits majestically at the entrance. There are numerous other statues lined up against the castle walls representing almost all characters from the film, including Bijalladeva and the Kalakeyas. The life-size cutouts of Sivagami Devi and Amarendra Baahubali placed in cozy niches form perfect selfie spots.
If you find it all quite impressive by daylight wait until the sun sets and the lights are turned on because that’s when the settings turn magical. The lights are strategically placed to specifically bring out distinct features of the set like the pillars and fireplaces. The BGMs and popular songs from the film are played in a loop adding up to a perfect ambience.
The organisers of this innovative setting is Madurai Entertainment Company based in Ponnagaram. They have also done similar projects across the state including the seven wonders and white house settings at Tamukkuam grounds in the past. S.Kaleeswaran, manager of the company informs that it took around 50 to 60 people working day and night for over a month to create the sets. The prime construction materials used were wood, synthetic flex sheets, plywood boards and angle iron (Pieces of iron with an L-shaped cross section that can be bolted together). “While choosing themes, we try to keep up with what’s trending at the moment and a Baahubali themed exhibition seemed like a perfect choice owing to its popularity among people of all age groups”, he says.
Moving on, there are also the usual shopping stalls selling accessories, household items and toys. While shopping to heart’s content one can also chose to munch snack items ranging from buttery sweet corn, fluffy cotton candies to the traditional molagabajji and jigarthanda. The entertainment corner had some cool rides like giant wheel, cup and saucer, merry-go-rounds for the kids to name a few. Enclosed booths for breast feeding mothers arranged for the first time in Madurai exhibition is a welcome initiative. The exhibition opens from 4 pm to 10 pm on all days and is on till January 21.