How the port city of Mamallapuram is preparing for the Indo-China summit

The only things PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will see when they land here on October 11 are sparkling clean roads, freshly washed monuments and lush greenery along the venue

The ancient port city of Mamallapuram is frenetic with activity. Municipal authorities are busy laying new roads, planting trees and removing sellers of knick-knacks from the streets near the city’s key monuments.

The only things Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will see when they land here on October 11 are sparkling clean roads, freshly washed monuments and lush greenery along the road to the venue, as the entire city is being given a makeover to ensure the guests go back with a good impression.

The visitors — perhaps the most famous since Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang’s visit in the seventh century AD — will be there for a two-day informal summit from October 11 to 13, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral ties between India and China.

 

Although the city was picked for the summit for a very practical reason — the lack of a larger runway for the aircraft carrying the Chinese president to land in the other cities under consideration, including Modi’s own constituency Varanasi —its symbolism for Indo-China relations is no less. 

In the seventh century AD, it was a thriving port under the Pallava dynasty with commercial links with China and other Southeast Asian countries. The port also finds mention in Hiuen Tsang’s travel records, who visited the country in 650 AD and stayed in Kanchi.

What make the city even more attractive though are the huge monolith rock-cut structures that were carved out during the Pallava dynasty. There are around 32 individual monuments spread over around 4 square kms and 13 of them are situated on a hillock. These intricate structures carved out of a single large stone have become a huge draw for tourists over the years.  

Since ancient times, the trade ties between the two nations have also flourished. China is India’s second-largest trading partner in goods, and India is China’s largest trading partner in South Asia. Currently, there are over 1,000 Chinese companies doing business in India,  and they have together created over 200,000 local jobs. Over two-thirds of Indian companies operating in China are making steady profits.

This is not the first time that the two leaders have met at an offbeat destination. In April last year, too, when Modi had visited China after the Doklam standoff, the Chinese holiday destination of Wuhan was picked as a venue for a two-day informal summit.

Preparations for the forthcoming summit started almost a month back, and entire Mamallapuram is currently going through a sea change with new roads being laid, monuments washed and repaired and streets beautified by removing structures put up illegally by shopkeepers.

 

Officials from both China and India are inspecting the venue and the route to be taken by the dignitaries. Both leaders will arrive at Chennai Airport and from there, they will take a helicopter to Thiruvandanthai, where a helipad was built for Modi during the Defence Expo last year. From here, they will drive for 4.3 kms to reach Hotel Taj Fisherman Cove, about 15 kms before Mamallapuram, where the summit is scheduled.

The hotel has already been taken over by government authorities and is heavily guarded by military and the police. Barricades have been put up two kms from the seven-star property, located near Kovalam beach, and no one, except villagers who live near the property, is allowed. Three sea-facing suites with about 40 square metres each will host the prime minister and and the Chinese president.

 

As the two leaders are expected to walk along the water front, special arrangements have been made, including a walkway on the lawns, and a “chai” stall. During the Wuhan trip last year Modi had demonstrated to Xi how he used to serve tea as a humble chaiwala.

Officials are also cleaning up and decorating the monuments in the city. The Archaeological Survey of India is taking up civil work to improve the pathway leading up to the Shore Temple, where the leaders may address a gathering. Repair works and beautification of these monuments are being conducted on a war-footing.

A team of Chinese officials has already inspected the monuments on the itinerary, including Krishna’s Butter Ball, Five Rathas, Shore Temple, Arjuna’s Penance and others. In all these places, Modi and Xi are expected to walk up to the monument and pose for pictures.

Security has been tightened across the East Coast. Police sources say nearly 10,000 police personnel will be deployed during the visit, and the entire area will come under CCTV surveillance. Drones are being deployed to monitor the coastline and round-the-clock patrolling is being carried out by the police and coast guard. Hotels and lodges in the tourist destination are being thoroughly checked by security officials and hotel owners have been advised to properly check the identity documents of their guests.

 

The two leaders are likely to meet fishermen living along the coast and the craftsmen from the region, said an official who is working on the preparations for the summit. The leaders will also visit an exhibition of handloom, khadi and handicrafts from the area.

Mamallapuram has a rich tradition of craftsmanship and many here believe they are descendants of Vishvakarman, who according to Hindu mythology is a divine engineer. Students from Kalakshetra dance school, one of the oldest cultural centres, will also put up a performance for the visiting dignitaries.

While many are excited about the visit, some are not that gung-ho about the restrictions placed on them. Surfing schools here allege that they would be losing around Rs 1 lakh a day owing to the ban on surfing activity prior to the event. They say that the season starts from September end and the ban, which has been imposed already on surfing, will shorten the season.

The small shops in the street that leads to the Shore Temple and to the beach are also unhappy. Makeshift extensions of many shops close to the Shore Temple have been removed and the shop owners fear that closer to the event, they may be asked to either demolish their shops or vacate them. Some of the shopkeepers also live next to their shop.

“We expect almost half a month of business to be affected. We may have to move to some relative’s house if they ask us to vacate the place closer to the event. We don’t have any say,” said a shopkeeper. 

Another shop owner, who has been running a shop for almost 25 years, said that the government has asked them to permanently vacate the location, and they are pleading with the local authorities for some relaxation in the decision.

“Initially, these were thatched shops, but after the tsunami, we built this on our own, spending Rs 4-5 lakh each. Where will we go if we are asked to go?” asked a 60-year-old shop owner.

The police have already collected information of the residents, both at Mamallapuram and the fishermen’s villages near Taj Fisherman’s Cove. People living in the region say they are expected to receive an identity card, which will allow them to move in and out of the area without hassle.

The fishermen near the hotel are familiar with such activities and they say it is important to have such measures to ensure the safety of the guests. Some of them complained that they may lose their wages if the authorities put restrictions on going to the sea a few days before the event. There are around 1,000 men from these villages and they earn Rs 500-1,000 per day from fishing. Similar restrictions were placed last time during the Defence Expo on the East Coast.

While no restrictions have been placed on tourists, it is likely that some monuments may remain closed to them for a few days during the event. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Department, however, expects the summit to boost tourism to Mamallapuram, just as the prime minister’s jungle adventure aired on Discovery did to the Jim Corbett National park.