Mamallapuram waits with bated breath to host historic Modi-Xi summit

From tight security to elaborate decorative arrangements, this cultural town near Chennai, as also the route leading up it, has undergone a complete makeover in the past few days

True to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat initiative, Chennai and its neighbouring districts have been tidied and decked up. They are waiting to witness the historic visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his two-day summit with PM Modi at Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), almost 60 kilometres from Chennai.

Chennai and the entire stretch connecting coastal town of Mamallapuram, a Unesco World Heritage site famous for its stone carvings and rock-cut temples of the Pallava dynasty period, are under a tight security blanket.

The Chinese President is expected to reach Chennai at 2.10 pm and then proceed to the city’s Hotel