Mamallapuram and its culture of inclusivity

At the world-famous sculpture town of Mamallapuram, formerly known as Mahabalipuram, the sculpting business transcends the religious divide. Members of three major religions - Hinduism, Christianity and Islam - are involved in sculpting and trading in idols of Hindu gods.

Located on the Coromandel coast of South India, Mamallapuram, which has been accorded the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is famous for the magnificence of its stone carvings and stone temples from the Pallava dynasty period, 1,300 years ago. A majority of the monuments in this town were built during the period of NarasimhavarmanI, (also known as ‘Mammal’ or the great warrior, after whom the town is named) during the period 630-670 AD. But Mamallapuram is not just an open-air museum of stone cut sculptures. It is also home to a vibrant stone sculpting industry catering to different segments of the domestic and overseas markets.

“There are about 150 businessmen involved in this business in Mamallapuram. There will be about 2,000 workers in their establishments,” said P. Boopathi, Proprietor of BS Arts. There is also the Government College of Architecture and Sculpture in the town that has suddenly come into the spotlight as the venue for the ‘informal summit’ between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“We do traditional and modern sculptures,” Boopathi said. (IANS)