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A date with heritage

Joseph Fernandez

Every step you take on the meandering stone path ahead leads you on a journey through time. As you make your way, there is an overpowering sense of deja-vu and surprise - you have been here before, yet it all seems so new.

The first stop is at a magnificent, sprawling house. It stands out in Southern elegance, surrounded by verdant landscaping. The sign tells you that you are in Chettinad country and about to enter a Chettiar house. One step into its antiquated ambience an d you are introduced to the cultural roots of Tamil Nadu's most prominent merchant community. The flavours and sights of Chettiar life come alive. Even the mannequins attired in traditional Chettinad wear seem to breathe the reality of Chettinad.

Minutes later, it is time to step into the world of the Sattanur house - reflecting the world of agricultural Tamil Nadu. And from there, the Agraharam - the hallowed sanctum of the Tamil Brahmin community. Everywhere, around you, the sights, sounds and flavours of traditional Tamil Nadu - the ubiquitous astrologer with his parrot and cards that tell your future, the peacock dancers who swirl, unmindful of the midday sun. All of it seems unreal, especially when you are told you need to visit Kerala just round the corner.

Here, Kerala's tharavadu (clan) houses in wooded elegance come into sight. Taking a detour from Kerala, you come to the Karnataka section where the lone Ikkat weaver's house stands re-created in the northern part of the State.

If you are wondering what all this is about, the answer is DakshinaChitra - an ambitious heritage initiative in this part of the world.

In its own words, DakshinaChitra is a living, breathing, cross-cultural museum of architecture, life-styles, crafts, performing arts, even food and music. A first-of-its-kind effort to capture the diverse flavour of South India.

DakshinaChitra derives its name from the Sanskrit word for the South and Chitra - a picture or sketch. It represents, in essence, a confluence of the heritage of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

``We like to think of DakshinaChitra as a living museum of the South,'' says Deborah Thiagarajan, President, Madras Craft Foundation. DakshinaChitra began life as a barren sprawl of land on Chennai's East Coast in July 1991. The centre opened to the publ ic in December 1996. Today, DakshinaChitra functions as a non-profit community service project of the Madras Craft Foundation that is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the culture of the four States. While the Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Keral a sections have taken shape in a big way, work on the Andhra Pradesh section has recently been initiated.

Conceptualised in the early 1990s, DakshinaChitra was a Madras community effort, driven by the initiative of Deborah Thiagarajan, an American art historian who has lived in India since 1970. Breathing architectural life into this centre was Laurie Baker. The other founders include M.V. Subbiah, Indira Kothari, Arun Bharat Ram, S.R. Rao and Malcolm Adiseshiah.

The centre's administration is overseen by professional volunteers and paid staff. It is funded by grants and donations and is working towards self-sustenance. DakshinaChitra also claims distinction as an example of the synergy between the Government, in dustry and conservation experts. Some of the country's leading names are on its Founder Patron list: American Express, EID Parry India, ICICI, Oberoi Hotels, Sundaram Finance & Sterling Resorts. Its heritage patrons include the Ford Foundation and the Of fice of the Development Commissioner, Handicrafts. The Taj Group runs a restaurant on the premises, while DakshinaChitra venues are hired out for a host of events - corporate and otherwise.

DakshinaChitra draws visitors from across the world, recording over 50,000 visitors in 2000-2001.

So, how does this heritage centre go about its mission?

DakshinaChitra relocates 18th, 19th and early 20th century houses from around South India. It has even re-created village streets and work places, providing for authentic insights into traditional South Indian life. The DakshinaChitra initiative is simpl e: the first step is to identify a house, spanning areas as diverse as an ancestral home in the Chettinad region or an Ikkat weaver's home in the northern reaches of Karnataka. Having purchased it, the next step is to dismantle it. The house is then tran sported to DakshinaChitra, where it is painstakingly recreated - in a slot meant for the State.

And then there are those hidden insights to reward the interested visitor. For instance, many traditional houses in Tamil Nadu have well-maintained facades, while often neglecting the functional areas of the home, such as the kitchen. This is seen as a r eflection of the paternalistic pattern of Tamil society. In direct contrast, Kerala's matriarchal homes have their kitchens and the like as well-maintained as the outer areas of the house. Subtle, but evident, if you really look for insights.

DakshinaChitra is a creative hub for South Indian potters, soft-stone workers, weavers, fabric printers and other artisans. It provides technical, organisational and business inputs, design intervention and marketing help to the craft communities of Sout h India. It also showcases traditional folk performances and is home to artisan families from the deep South, who make their living by demonstrating their skills to visitors. As a visitor, you are treated to a traditional puppet show, a pottery demonstra tion and even an authentic bullock-cart ride!

A visit to DakshinaChitra is a journey in time through South India's rich culture. Heritage, it tells you, can be sustained and made a vibrant movement - with vision and initiative. You can also visit DakshinaChitra online (www.dakshinachitra.org).

As you retrace your steps on the path, back to 21st century India, DakshinaChitra's appeal lingers as our most evocative tribute to a living heritage. DakshinaChitra is, very simply, South.

Fact file

How to get there: DakshinaChitra is located 22 km from the Chennai city limits on the East Coast (New Mahabalipuram) Road. It is accessible only by road. There are a host of coach/taxi services.

Facilities: DakshinaChitra offers 12 residential rooms, a dormitory and a seminar hall. It is ideal for residential conferences. It also has a South Indian restaurant.

Picture: A typical Kerala house in DakshinaChitra.