As India and China are all set to witness the second informal PM Modi-Xi Jinping summit in Mamallapuram that begins from October 11, the venue has been decorated with grandeur ahead of the meet. The department of Horticulture has sourced 18 varieties of vegetables and fruits from different parts of the state for the grand decoration of the entrance near 'Pancha Rathas'. Not only the gate, but the entire drive to it have been decorated with the produce.

READ | PM Modi-Xi Jinping Meet: Mamallapuram gears up for 2nd informal summit

The summit begins at 5 pm

PM Modi will be flying down from Delhi to Chennai on October 11 at 11:30 am, post which he will get on an MI-17 helicopter and land at the Mahabalipuram helipad at 1 pm. The summit will begin at 5 pm when both, PM Modi and the Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a guided tour at three of the monuments in Mamallapuram. Thereafter, both the leaders will be attending a cultural program from 6 to 6:30 pm at Shore Temple. Following that, both PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be having a private dinner.

READ | PM Modi-Xi Jinping Meet: Mamallapuram gears up for 2nd informal summit

China’s historical relationship with Mamallapuram

The Pallava and Chola kingdoms have had strong maritime trade connections with Chinese since the seventh century. The evidence of different varieties of Chinese porcelain from the coastal sites of Tamil Nadu has proved the well-established trade contacts between India and China. All of this started when Hiuen Tsang (Xian Zang), the Chinese traveler of the seventh century, visited Kanchi, the capital city of Pallavas. The Pallava dynasty, which ruled this area between the 6th -9th centuries with their capital at Kanchipuram, created the wonderful architectural masterpieces in the current day Mamallapuram.

READ | Modi-Xi meet: China's envoy highlights the importance of India-China ties

The world ‘Mamalla’ was a title conferred to Narashimavarman I, the Pallava ruler of the seventh century, who was responsible for most of the rock-cut temples and carvings at this place. ‘Mamalla’ means ‘a great fighter’ and so was how the city got its name. Later, the name Mahabalipuram was derived from Mamallapuram. The monuments of Mahabalipuram can be grouped as Monolithics, Caves, Temples, and Sculptured scenes. This group of Monuments at Mamallapuram was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1984, in recognition of its outstanding universal value, contribution to humanity in the field of art and architecture. 

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