Modi with Xi Jinping, in Mahabalipuram. Not many Presidents and Prime Ministers are fortunate enough to have another country's Prime Minister to have as a tourist guide! But Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday was fortunate as he had India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his guide, explaining in great detail about the architecture and significance of the three important rock-cut monuments in the famed sculpture town Mahabalipuram, about 60 km from Chennai.
Image Credit: PTI
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Donning the traditional Tamil attire of 'veshti' (white dhoti), half-sleeve white shirt and angavastram over his shoulder, Modi welcomed Xi at Mahabalipuram, for the second informal India-China Summit. Xi, who arrived earlier from Beijing, was equally casually attired in a white shirt and black trousers.
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Modi received Xi near Arjuna's Penance and took him inside the rock-cut temple and was seen explaining the features to the Chinese leader. Then the two leaders walked over to Arjuna's Penance sculpture. Modi, like a professional guide, was seen explaining to Xi the various images carved on the huge rock.
Image Credit: PTI
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Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Mahabalipuram. Located on the Coromandel coast, Mahabalipuram, sporting the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag, is famous for its stone carvings and rock cut temples of the Pallava dynasty period. A majority of the monuments at this town were built during the period of Narasimhavarman-I during the period 630-670 AD.
Image Credit: PTI
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Xi was seen listening to Modi keenly. One of the magnificent monuments of Mahabalipuram, Arjuna's Penance, chiselled out on a large boulder, shows several rows of Hindu gods facing towards a sage/person who is on a penance standing on his left leg. Apart from the gods, images of hunters, sages, animals and others have been carved out.
Image Credit: PTI
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After some siteseeing, the two leaders decided to sit down for a small chat, each sipping tender coconut water.
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Modi shakes hands with Xi Jinping, in Mahabalipuram. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) monuments in Mahabalipuram could be divided into monoliths - free standing temples cut out of solid rocks, caves - excavated out of hills and used as temples, temples - built up masonry temples, sculptured scenes - carved on hill edges, and miscellaneous edifices.
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Narendra Modi with Xi Jinping, in Mahabalipuram.
Image Credit: PTI
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Modi speaks with Xi Jinping, in Mahabalipuram.
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Narendra Modi with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in Mahabalipuram, Chennai.
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Narendra Modi shakes hands with Xi Jinping, in Mahabalipuram.
Image Credit: PTI
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China's President Xi Jinping (3L) arrives in Chennai.
Image Credit: AFP
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Chinese President Xi Jinping waves to the gathering as he arrives in Chennai.
Image Credit: AP
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