By C.P. Belliappa
During a recent family trip to Chennai, we visited Dakshina Chitra Heritage Museum on the East Coast Road (ECR), enroute to Mahabalipuram. It was one of the most fascinating stops on our trip.
Dakshina Chitra is a heritage museum envisioned by Dr Deborah Thiagarajan, an American who settled in Chennai. She and her late husband, Raj Thiagarajan, an industrialist and banker, shared a passion for Indian heritage, particularly the art, culture, folklore, music, dance and architecture of South India.
In 1984, Dr Deborah Thiagarajan founded the ‘Madras Craft Foundation’ to preserve and promote South Indian heritage and culture. In 1991, the Foundation was granted 10 acres of land on ECR to establish an open-air museum.
Since then, Dr Deborah has established and curated a living museum featuring rare artefacts, relocated original heritage homes, and spaces for live performances and workshops. The well-known architect, Lawrie Baker, was involved in its planning and establishment. The museum is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The annual visitors to the museum has crossed two lakhs.
Among the museum’s main attractions are nineteen heritage homes from the five southern states. Transported to the site and meticulously reconstructed, these homes have been restored to their former glory. Highly skilled carpenters, woodcarvers and masons attend to even the smallest details.
We were especially looking forward to visiting the Kodava ainmane. Thanks to Codanda Rathi Vinay Jha, the first Kodavathi IAS officer, and a Life Trustee of Dakshina Chitra; introduced us to the museum’s Director, Sharath Nambiar, who very kindly guided us through the heritage homes. Dr Deborah Thiagarajan also dropped by, giving us a wonderful opportunity to meet and speak with her.
Rathi Jha played a major role in curating and establishing this museum of Kodava heritage and culture, the first of its kind in the country. Late Boverianda Nanjamma helped Dakshina Chitra in identifying the ainmane which belonged to the Kodira family of Arapattu village. After the family built another ainmane, the 175-year-old structure fell into disrepair. They enthusiastically offered it for relocation and restoration. Experts from Dakshina Chitra painstakingly measured, photographed and numbered every salvageable part of the building, mainly wooden and stone components, for use in the restoration.
The restored ainmane is spectacular. Its interior brings Kodava heritage to life through rare artefacts from Coorg, vintage photographs and paintings, and mannequins dressed in traditional Kodava attire. Videos playing in various rooms explore the land, its people, their distinctive customs and their way of life.
‘Sandooka: The Virtual Museum of Kodava Culture’ provided domain expertise for the creation of the Kodava heritage project at Dakshina Chitra. An initiative of Rathi Jha, its website, www.sandookamuseum.org, is a comprehensive repository of Kodava heritage, traditions and culture, among other subjects [please visit the website]. I have been involved in the Sandooka project and am happy to appear in one of the videos shown in the Kodava ainmane at Dakshina Chitra.
For a walk-through the ainmane, please visit: www.facebook.com/reel/9675793905788727
The construction and exhibition of the Kodava house has been fully supported by the Mobis India Foundation, the CSR arm of Hyundai Motors.