A tribute to elegance
Chennai's artistry stretches to wood and stone carving, and craftsmanship in particular stands out. Renowned artisans from towns like Nagercoil and Suchindram specialise in termite resistant woodcraft with intricate finishes, impressive designs, and termite resistance. Utilising materials like palm trees, bamboo shoots, cane grass reeds coconut fibers they craft products such as baskets rope mats depicting scenes from Hindu epics such as Ramayana or Mahabharata as their medium for creating these elegant masterpieces that add elegance to living spaces - even termite resistance ensures these masterpieces remain termite resistant.
Witness Chennai's mesmerising stone carving structures as an amazing testament to Tamil Nadu's ancient art form: Viswakarma stone carvers skillfully craft idols made from black and white granite to showcase Tamil Nadu's culture and rich historical legacy. Most carvings depict scenes from Hindu mythological epics showcasing its rich cultural legacy.
A dance of grace and expression
Bharatanatyam, the Indian classical dance form renowned for its graceful expression and expression is the state dance of Tamil Nadu. The dance is recognized for its expressive hand gestures, footwork and fixed upper torso position accompanied by soulful music and captivating performance. It was perfected by the Thanjavur Quartet and represents South Indian culture through nrita, nritya and natya performances which showcase its essence. Bharatanatyam productions have gained wide popularity all across India with both traditional as well as modern elements.
A symphony of ragas and talas
Experience the soul-stirring melodies of Carnatic music, where melodic formulae and rhythmic cycles - known as ragas and talas - interweave into captivating compositions. Vocal music takes centre stage while various instruments such as vina, violin, mridangam ghatam kanjira flute all add their melodic richness. Contemporary Carnatic music even incorporates elements from other genres into its arrangements to produce engaging pieces which captivate audiences with emotive melodies!
A haven for creative souls
Discover Chennai's artistic enclaves - each an inspiring source of artistic energy. Admire Cholamandal Artists' Village, established by KCS Paniker in 1966 on an expansive 10-acre campus featuring museums, galleries and craft shops. Its collection includes granite sculptures made by international artists as well as those created locally. They capture the spirit of "Madras Movement", an influential art movement within India.
An artistic institution
Rukmini Devi Arundale and George Arundale founded The Kalakshetra Foundation as an artistic institution in 1936 to preserve traditional Indian art and crafts. Situated at Besant Nagar in Chennai on 99 acres of land, this Institute of National Importance by Parliament strives to instil students with true artistic spirit while teaching appropriate attitudes about life and art. Visitors were amazed and taught traditional handloom weaving, block printing and Kalamkari at Kalakshetra Craft Centre.
A refuge for inspired souls
Built in 1906 with red stones from Andhra Pradesh, The National Art Gallery is one of the oldest art galleries in India. It comprises four distinct segments - Decorative Art Gallery, Ravi Verma Painting, Thanjavur Painting and Indian Traditional Art Gallery - featuring paintings from Thanjavur, Rajasthan Deccan Kangra as well as historical artefacts dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries. and unfortunately, though it is a designated CMDA Heritage site, the building's structural instability caused the gallery to be closed off to tourists since 2002.
The legacy of knowledge
Discover a world of knowledge at Connemara Public Library, one of India's four national depository libraries of precious texts and rare books. Housed within this building is The Bible published in 1608, Accounts of Trade in India by Lockyer (Charles), as well as German copies of Antony and Cleopatra by Goethe and others, plus over 600,000 books journals magazines manuscripts Braille manuscripts etc. Additionally there is also a reference room, textbook section periodicals as well as other facilities onsite.
An oasis for imaginative minds
Lalit Kala Academy provides an oasis for creative minds. Run by India's Ministry of Culture, this premier institute for fine arts offers workshops, exhibitions and a platform for both traditional and modern forms of artistic expression. Lalit Kala Akademi is located on Greams Road at Thousand Lights West in Chennai, run by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of India and is considered an institution dedicated to fine arts. Apparao Arts Gallery Apparao is one of the oldest and most well-known privately owned art galleries located in Nungambakkam, Chennai and promotes contemporary artists with their artworks as part of its mission. Through workshops and exhibitions, it also serves as an invaluable place to study both traditional and modern forms.
