DakshinaChitra
DakshinaChitra is an exciting cross cultural living museum of art,
architecture, lifestyles, crafts and performing arts of South India. The main
mission is to exhibit, promote and preserve aspects of the broader, more
inclusive cultures of the states and to bring these arts to the public in a
participative, enjoyable and engaging way. DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum, a
project of Madras Craft Foundation an NGO was opened to the public on December
14th 1996. The Museum is located overlooking the Bay of Bengal, at Muttukadu,
twenty five kilometers south of Central Chennai, on the East Coast Road to
Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
DakshinaChitra has a collection of 18 authentic historical houses
with contextual exhibitions in each house. All the houses bought and
reconstructed at DakshinaChitra had been given for demolition by their owners.
The authentic homes in a regional vernacular style are purchased, taken down,
transported and reconstructed by artisans (Stapathis) of the regions from where
the houses came
It has the traditional Handlooms, replicas of the Four
South Indian State models of houses. Silk Weavers and other craftsmen
demonstrate their skill and dexterity of their domain. Live demonstrations by
the artisans thrill the visitors.
Dr. Deborah Thiagarajan, an Indian art historian of American
origin, founded an NGO, the Madras Craft Foundation (MCF) in 1984 to govern the museum.
It is built on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land taken on a 33-year lease from
the Government of Tamil Nadu.
The museum, developed as a heritage village, has an array of displays depicting
the unique life pattern of Indians in the states of South India.
History
DakshinaChitra, "meaning a picture of the
south", was founded by the Madras Craft Foundation (MCF), an NGO started
in 1984, by Dr. Deborah Thiagarajan. Thiagarajan, an Indian art historian of
American origin, had come to Madras (now Chennai) in 1970 and visited several rural villages in Tamil Nadu and
Kerala. She founded the MCF in 1984 with the intent of preserving the
regional culture and heritage. Six years later, in July 1991, the MCF
received 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land for the project from the Government of Tamil Nadu on
a 33-year lease.
The museum had also received grants from various governmental
ministries and organizations such as the Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Culture and
the Ford Foundation.
DakshinaChitra was formally opened for public viewing on 14 December 1996.
British-born Indian architect Laurie Baker volunteered his services with the spatial conceptualizing of
the layout of the museum with special emphasis on giving the artisans free
space in building it. Benny Kuriakose, an assistant of Baker's, designed the
public buildings and was responsible for the re-creation, conservation, and
supervision of the heritage house buildings.
Features
DakshinaChitra is a heritage village where the unique lifestyle
of South Indians is
revived based on their states. The center occupies ten undulating acres
overlooking the Bay of Bengal, at Muttukadu, 25 kilometers (16 mi) south of Chennai, on the East Coast Road to Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
The museum showcases 18 heritage houses representing the living
styles of people from the states of South India such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, North Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana. These houses are
recreated by a team of architecture students, carpenters and workers who set
about measuring, photographing and carefully dismantling the house; original
houses which were allowed to be demolished by the original owners in their
villages/towns.
The original houses in their "vernacular style" were
purchased by MCF (purchase costs varied from Rs. 50,000 for ordinary mud houses
to Rs. 1.5 million for the Chettinad Merchant’s mansions with crafted doors and
woodwork) and then demolished systematically under the guidance of Stapathis
(temple architects) of the particular villages for recreation in its exact
original form at the museum by the same architect.
The houses are said to represent mostly the Chettiar themes of
the Nattukkottai Chettiars who
have been in the forefront of conservation and restoration and renovation of
public edifices. This has been a view in some circles, particularly on the aspect
of replication of per-industrial rural life and it represents "American
Consumerism".
The artifacts in the museum reflect the daily life in the Southern
States. As of 2014, there were 4,220 artifacts on display; 3,200 are art
related, 950 are clothing (typical South Indian attire of females and males in
cotton and silk fabrics and furnishings) and 70 pertain to contemporary
aspects.
The museum has a collection of books and journals pertaining to
the arts, crafts, performance, anthropology and folklore of South India, apart from 1,000,000 pictures. The
entire display and presentation is in the English language, and highlights the cultural aspects of the high status of Brahminical people. The heritage homes are informative and educative as
one can learn the art and craft traditions of South India.
There is a center for living traditions of art, folk performing
arts, and crafts set up with the objective of preserving and promoting the rich
heritage and culture of South India. Conceptualizing South Indian heritage
homes set in folk art tradition, special programmes of dances, crafting of
necklaces, basket weaving, puppet shows and so forth are organized here. Every
year 15,000 school children visit the museum. The museum also holds workshops
for training in traditional crafts such as indigo dying. Potters trained at this center are issued a certificate
of their upgraded skills by the regional office of the Department of the
Development Commissioner (Handicrafts).
In the large open air theater or an amphitheater here, cultural
programmes such as classical dances Bharatnatyam, Mohiniyatam and Kuchipudi, and also music concerts are a regular feature.
Facilities
The museum has a research unit, a craft bazaar, a play ground, an
area to hold religious functions, stone workshop, and souvenir kiosks. The
craftsmen demonstrate or explain how they make their wares.
Important Info
Entry Fee
|
Holiday
|
Indians
Rs. 50/-
Student
Rs. 25/-
Foreigners
Rs.175/-
Foreign
Student Rs. 70/-
|
Tuesday
|
Getting Here: East Coast Road, Muttukadu, Chengalpet District – 600 118.
Land Mark: Next to MGM Dizee World & Next to Sangeetha Hotel
Phone: 044 27472603 / 044 27472783 / 044-24918943
Timings: 10am to 6 pm.
Weekly holiday: Tuesday (open on all national holidays except on Diwali day)
Bus Numbers: 19, PP19, PP49. Any call taxi or private taxi can be hired &
Nearest Bus stop - MGM Dizzee world & it is located 200 meters from MGM
Dizzee world.
Note: Eatables not permitted to be brought inside the museum. Space
provided beside the parking area to eat food.