Mamallapuram has been famous from the time it was a port town under King Narasimhavarman 1 (known as Mamallan or ‘wrestler’) of the Pallava dynasty in 700 AD. This seaside town on the Bay of Bengal, located some 60 km from Chennai, has been a world heritage site since 1984.
And now, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping chose it as the venue for their second informal summit, the town has been pushed into the limelight like never before. Thousands of cameras captured its architectural marvels as the two leaders walked about the site. It has inspired young people from Chennai’s workplaces, colleges and schools to visit, while domestic and foreign tourists are now thronging Mamallapuram every day. The town was revamped in a big way for its VIP visitors, with lawns freshly laid with Korean grass, pavements remade with special stone cladding, and new spotlights illuminating the sculptures.
The architectural legacy of the Pallava period is carried forward today by hundreds of stone carvers and sculptors who live in the town, and by the several sculpting schools that flourish here. Sculptures created here have the GI tag, and they are exported to various countries. Artisan-cum-art dealer Harikrishnan says tourist arrivals to the town have increased 10 times, and his own customers have increased threefold.
( Text and images by Shaju John )
Under the arc lights: The newly added spotlights add lustre to the Five Chariots sculptures at the world heritage site of Mamallapuram, some 60 km of Chennai. The informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held in the town has lend a new aura to the site with more visitors pouring in from far and wide.
Modern path: The Shore Temple has got stone-cladded pathways and decorated spotlights.
New glow: The Arjuna’s Penance sculpture is illuminated with new lights.
Majestic hallways: The stone-curved temple structures is getting all the attention after the amenities got a makeover.
All aglow: The colonnades shine a light on the past.
Lit up: The Shore Temple in magnificent glory with fireworks in the background.
Brisk sales: Shops at Mahabalipuram are doing roaring business as more visitors are arriving now after the Modi-Xi summit.