When to go
- Time of day
- Open 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Historical PlaceHeritage museum
DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum
Eighteen rescued South Indian homes rebuilt by craftsmen from their own regions
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01 — The story
The story
DakshinaChitra is a living heritage museum at Muttukadu on the Bay of Bengal coast, about 25 km south of Chennai. The Madras Craft Foundation set it up to record and protect the architecture, crafts and ways of life of South India. Its 18 historic houses had all been due for demolition; each was taken apart and put back together here by stapathis from the region it came from.
The grounds are split into zones for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, showing the modest homes of merchants, weavers, potters and farmers rather than palaces. Kerala has a Syrian Christian house and a granary, Karnataka a Chikmagalur house and an Ilkal weavers' home. A library on folklore and crafts, folk performances and craft workshops round out the museum.
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02 — About
About DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum
Coming soon
We’re still writing about DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum: its history, what’s there and why it’s worth the trip.
03 — Plan your visit
Plan your visit
On the ground
- Access
- Nearest airport: Chennai International Airport (MAA), Chennai.; Nearest railway station: Chennai Central Railway Station (MAS).
Where it is
Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu
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01 — More in Chengalpattu
