Mar 18 – Drive to Mahabalipuram

Heading out of Chennai.

Lot of projects to help beautify the city.

Our first stop was the Kalakshetra Craft Center.  The craft center is part of a foundation   was founded by a famous Indian dancer in the early part of the 20^th century.  The intent of the foundation was to preserve traditional dance as well as other historical crafts.  The center had a lot of looms so that they could accommodate a lot of weavers.  

These men are in the process of setting up looms.  It can take many hours to get the looms set up.  

These ladies are preparing the skeins of thread to be used in the weaving. 

The cards that control the position of the threads to form the patterns.  A complex pattern can requires many of these cards.

We also saw painters (we saw some draft designs and paintings in process), …

and block printing on fabric.

On the way to our next stop we passed this funeral procession with a golden hearse.

Next stop was the International Sculpture Park.  Founded several decades ago, it the sculpture garden had works from artists around the world.

Cube by Kolleri

Dream of the Black Sun by Kharan

Emptiness by Mikami

Landscape by Have

Owl by Vijayavelu

Tiara by Beckman

From there we stopped at the Dakshina Chitra Museum.  

The outdoor museum contained heritage buildings from various states in southern India. 

Tamil Nadu

Muslim House

Andhra Pradesh

There was also a museum with many artifacts, furniture and art. 

There were some vendors with interesting wares to sell.

This display was to encourage people to avoid using certain materials that don’t recycle or decompose well.

Our hotel for the next two nights is right on the beach.  Huge room and rocking chairs on the veranda.

Huge beach.

There was a man on horseback wandering up and down the beach.  We think he was guard but he didn't have a uniform so who knows.

Beautiful grounds