DakshinaChitra - Living Traditions in a Changing Society ...



       Dakshinachitra located on the scenic East Coast Road in Chennai is a non-profit organization of the Madras Craft Foundation created for the promotion and preservation of  the cultures of the diverse people of India with emphasis on Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. A variety of old South Indian houses are re-built inside the place without losing the originality. Materials used during the era are kept inside the house to provide an overview of the history of South Indian states. It is a great place to visit with family and kids if one wants to know, understand and appreciate the old traditions that are out of place today.

     Around 20 houses are recreated which include the Potter's house of  Tamil Nadu, Ikat Weaver's house of Andhra Pradesh, Chikmagalur House of Karnataka, Syrian Christian house of Kerala etc., Apart from the houses, there is a crafts bazaar where crafts people from across India demonstrate their craft and sell traditional craft items directly to the public. Also, there are a number of activities like dance performances, puppet shows, art exhibitions, fun activities like tarot card reading with parrots, pottery making etc.,  and craft workshops organized within Dhakshinachitra for children and other visitors as well.

  

On the way to Dakshinachitra - The scenic East Coast Road ...

 Large Terracotta Elephants standing in welcome at the entrance...  

Lush greenery that is in abundant in the area...

The reception lobby where many interesting terracotta pieces are placed...



Love the bird bath and the urli...

 

 

 

 Love the brick wall ... and the simple and elegant wooden windows...

Love the beautiful arch made of bricks above the window as well..  

An attention-grabbing water hole in the shape of an elephant / cattle head...  

A map of the entire area... There are printed maps available at the reception itself .. It is better to have one in hand when you visit the place since the area is vast and spread across acres of land... 

Loved this interesting wooden sign with terracotta plate and cutlery to the restaurant 'kanali' .. 

 

 An entire street of  houses is recreated to form the Tamil Nadu section - It contains an original Nattukotai Chettiar Merchant House from Chettinad, a Brahmin House from Ambur of Tirunelveli District, an Agriculturist's house from Thanjavur district, a Weaver's house from Kanchipuram, Potter's House and Basket Weavers' Houses from Chengalpattu District.

 

 

Articles like baskets, plates etc., used in earlier times are exhibited inside the houses... Aren't the colors used on the walls lovely ? 

Entrance to the Nattukottai Chettiar Merchant House from Chettinad - Pillars made of wood, primarily imported teak and the roof tiles used distinguish these houses.  

 A vessel ( used to store water ?? ) inside the house .. .

  

You can try the gradma's grinding technique inside one of the Tamilian houses ...

Reminds me of my maternal grandmother using the same to grind grains years ago....  

A weaver demonstrates the art of weaving Kanchipuram saris usiing a pit-loom  inside the weaver's house ...

  A syrian christian house of Kottayam District ... 

The Ikat Weaver's House of Koyalagudam, Andhra Pradesh ...

Love the vibrant doors and windows.....

 

Love the metal door knocker ...  

 

Weavers' Houses made of stone  from IIkal in North Karnataka ...

 

Chikmagalur House of Karnataka ...

 

All Images : Mine. Copy right belongs to Liven Things Up.

Please do not re-use or copy without written permission.

 

Note :  Please plan the visit to the place for at least 2-3 hours since the area is vast. Wear sandals as you will have to walk a lot. The place can be very hot during summer even though there are abundant trees in the area.

 

Cholamandal Artists' Village - Artists in Residence...

     Cholamandal , started in 1965 is an Artists' Village that is situated on an eight acres plot of land on the East Coast Road, Chennai . It is undertaken by a group of 30 artists who have formed themselves into an association to provide adequate opportunities and create the proper atmosphere for developing and utilising their artistic talents. About 30 artists live in this small colony. Many of them have constructed houses or cottages, in which they live and work.Today Cholamandal named after the ancient Chola dynasty is India's largest self supporting art colony and one of the most successful in Asia.Visitors are welcome to visit the village and its permanent gallery of paintings , the K.C.S. Paniker Museum of the Madras Movement, an open-air international sculpture park surrounding the complex as well as the display of craft work which are also for sale.

 Cholamandal Centre for Contemporary Art -

Works of eminent artists are displayed here...

     Camera is not allowed inside the museum - So all I could get was a few shots of the sculptures in the area . It is worth visiting the place so that you can feast your eyes on the incredible talent of the artists in our country ...!!

     The yellow building that is seen at the background is Shiraz Art Cafe , a lovely place with great ambience run by two artists about which I had done a detailed post here.. 

If you are interested in meeting artists, seeing them at work or getting the art works from the direct source then this would be the right place to drop by !!

Taj Fisherman's Cove - In the Lap of Luxury ....

           Have you ever wanted to spend a blissful weekend – absolutely doing nothing…just strolling around in a place surrounded by lush greenery…. great food… with the sun above and the sea waves touching your feet…?!! Then the Taj Fisherman’s Cove would be an apt choice..… !! The resort can be described as a serene and beautiful place sorrounded by lush gardens, a pristine white private beach and a perfect place to take romantic walks on.. .. ;-);-) The fantastic location of the resort along the shoreline of the Bay of Bengal and the tranquil garden settings that is cultivated within adds to the beauty of the resort.

  

      There are private cottages in various categories and perfect views - garden view, sea view etc.,..& if you like to have dinner by the sea shore, they arrange private dinners and also they have open air restaurants inside the resort, that cater food with incredible views of the sea, rocks and greenery !! This is a suitable place to spend time with family and unwind from the hustle bustle of the city – in fact, this is a perfect weekend retreat as they call it...!!  

     We went to the Taj Fisherman’s Cove a couple of weeks back and stayed there during the weekend - This was my first visit to the place & I was literally surprised to see such a beautiful place with a great ambience surrounded by greenery within Chennai…the place was way beyond my expectations… Right from the welcome drink to the shell mala with which they welcome a person in the resort , the shell-shaped cottage in which we stayed , the warm and the friendly staff, the golf cabbie rides within the resort, the excellant breakfast , dinner buffets and the impeccable service… the place was fantastic and the visit was enjoyable !! And ofcourse, quality and excellance always comes with a price … !!!

The cottage with a patio and  private garden ...

Love the simple pattern on the white brick wall....

 Wicker chairs and white interiors - simple and minimalistic ..

Mirror adorned with shells...

The tranquil garden and the beautiful landscape...

Beautiful sea-view villas ... Love those stone-like exteriors...

The shell-shaped cottages facing the sea...

Stone sculptures that are commonly sold on the

roads of ECR, chennai....

The swimming pool situated amidst trees ...  

Lounge chairs by the swimming pool - a place to relax

with a good book... !!

The 'Bay view' restaurant that offers incredible views of the sea..

I took these photographs when they were setting the table...

This is one easy and lovely flower arrangement... !!

My favorite photographs are those of the reading room..
Love the black and white rug and the embroidered pillows
that  co-ordinate well with it..

 The wooden book shelf...
Isn't that artwork and the stone mask beautiful ?!?!

The 'Upper Deck' restaurant - dinner setting by the rocks... !!

Love this simple tablescape and the blue glasses ... !!

All image copyrights belong to Liven Things Up. Please donot use without permission.

     All in all, this is a place to feel pampered and soak in luxury & if you don't expect something for every penny you pay, you might have a pleasant experience and an enjoyable stay here... !!