 | |
  DakshinaChitra Location within Tamil Nadu | |
| Established | 14 December 1996 |
|---|---|
| Location | East Coast Road, Muttukadu, Chennai, India |
| Coordinates | 12°49′21″N 80°14′35″E / 12.822423°N 80.243098°E |
| Type | Heritage centre |
| Collection size | 4,220 artefacts and 1,000,000 pictures |
| Founder | Madras Craft Foundation |
| Curator | Deborah Thiagarajan |
| Architect | Laurie Baker Benny Kuriakose |
| Website | dakshinachitra.net |
DakshinaChitra ("a picture of the south") is a living-history museum in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, dedicated to South Indian heritage and culture. It is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) to the south of Chennai. Opened to the public on 14 December 1996, the museum was founded and is being managed by the Madras Craft Foundation (MCF). The MCF was established in 1984. Deborah Thiagarajan, an Indian art historian of American origin, governs the museum. The museum is built on 10 acres (4.0 ha) of land taken on a 33-year lease from the Government of Tamil Nadu. Located at Muttukadu, on the East Coast Road connecting Chennai and Pondicherry, the site overlooks Bay of Bengal.
Developed as a heritage village, DakshinaChitra has an array of displays and relocated originals of dwellings depicting the life pattern of people in the states of southern India. The exhibits portray the architecture, art, folk performing-arts and craft of South Indian traditions. The amenities include a research unit, crafts bazaar, playground, an area to hold religious functions, stone workshop, and souvenir kiosks.[1] There are craftsmen who permanently work at DakshinaChitra who demonstrate or explain how they make their wares.[2] Besides workshops are conducted regularly for various crafts by artists who rent the community studio.[3]
- ^ Acuff & Evans 2014, p. 120.
- ^ "Must see must do in Chennai". Dakshinachitra. India Today. 3 January 2012. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
- ^ "Dakshinachitra Ceramic Workshop Centre on ECR Chennai". www.dakshinachitra.net. Retrieved 30 October 2019.