Its people are what make Mamallapuram what it is: the sculptors, migrant artisans and fisherfolk-restaurateurs that take up Othavadai street today have a hopeful air about them. It is going to be a busy few weeks.
Apart from the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad 2022, the Covelong Point Surf, Music and Yoga Festival and the Tamil Nadu International Kite Festival are events that the seaside town will play host to in the first half of August.
Leading up to the beach that flaunts the picturesque backdrop of the distant shore temple, Wasim Altaf’s small handicrafts shop is quiet today, but the coming week is a crucial one, he says.
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The shop that otherwise displays cotton beach wear, marble souvenirs and even singing bowls, now has chess boards lined up against its entrance. Some have marble pawns, others have perforated carvings and felt-lined boxes. Wasim, who hails from Kashmir, had sourced them last week expecting customers during the course of the Olympiad. “This is what we are waiting for. We were getting tourists before the pandemic, but not anymore,” says Wasim, who had opened the store eight years ago. He hopes the international players will step out to check the markets, seafood and streets of Mamallapuram — “they are not just coming to play chess and go back,” he chuckles.
Meanwhile, Devaraj too has big plans for his sculpture shop, Ponni Arts. Apart from adding more stone sculptures to his already varied collection — from those of Indian gods and goddesses to keepsakes like lockets and necklaces — he wants to rearrange and clean out his shop to welcome new customers. Before the pandemic, July and August were considered busy months following the French holiday but ever since lockdowns lifted, things have not been the same. And so, the Olympiad happening at this time, he feels, is a good sign.
“My place’s popularity lies in its stone sculptures. They would also want to see that.. the natural artforms of Mamallapuram,” says Devaraj.
“August onwards, we will see the Olympiad’s effect,” says auto driver R Sakthivel. At the Dr Ambedkar ECR Auto Stand under the ECR bypass, a colorful flex welcomes players with an illustration of an auto with a black-and-white chessboard for a roof. Sakthivel is ecstatic: “It’s a moment of extreme pride for us. This is the first time the Olympiad is happening in India, that too in our Mamallapuram.”
Chess boards on display at a souvenir shop | Photo Credit: Johan Sathyadas
Sakthivel has no doubts that an event of this scale will mean more guests to his hometown. He points out how, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Mamallapuram in 2019, there was a welcome barrage of North Indian travellers in the months that followed. “Most of them asked us to take us to the spot where Modi ji took photographs,” he laughs.
Sakthivel expects a similar inflow around August after the Olympiad wraps up. TTDC (Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation) has also identified 12 autos from the stand as tourist autos. Five Rathas, old and new lighthouses, Mahishasuramardini Cave, Krishna Mandapam, Arjuna’s Penance, Krishna’s Butter Ball, Shore temple... Sakthivel has charted out a sightseeing list for his first-time guests.
“We don’t even mind taking the players around for free. We want to show them all around our town. We want them to go back to their countries and talk highly about Mamallapuram,” he concludes.
