PM Modi-Xi Jinping meet: Buddha, fighting bulls to welcome at TN

Ahe of visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India, for informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, statues of Gautham Buddha and fighting bulls, a pointer to Tamil Nu's trition of 'Jallikattu" are among sculptures coming up at vant points at world herit site of Tamil Nu's Mamallapuram.  historic coastal town is witnessing a flurry of activity, including infrastructure development in view of high-level meet between leers of both countries. Herit monuments, including Shore Temple, Five Rathas, Arjuna's Penance, also kwn as descent of Ganges and Krishna's Butterball, besides lighthouse, are being spruced up.

Krishna's butterball is a massive round boulder perched on a steep rocky slope in this town. This precariously balanced boulder is said to be a hunk of stolen butter dropped by gods. Over 100 workers have been toiling to clean monuments and give it a fresh look without causing any dam, strictly toeing all rms to protect m. compound gates have been given a fresh coat of yellow paint in sync with colour of monuments. LED lighting to give a "soft and subtle" effect to historic monuments and solar lighting is also being done in places like Arjuna's Penance, sources told PTI. Natural grass brought from Karnataka is being used for landscaping in and around monuments like Krishna's butterball to an extent of about two lakh square feet.

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Ornamental plants are also being put up and trees trimmed. Granite tops are being fixed over parapet walls joining monuments in select spots and a small-sized wooden gate with aestic looks has been installed. New granite pathways are being laid in premises housing monuments, including shore temple and butterball structure and a number of ros are being topped with tar. entire stretch of East Coast Ro from Chennai through Mamallapuram has been spruced up and illegal structures removed.

Also, GST Ro in Chennai, where international airport is located, is being cleaned up. Ro medians in and around Chennai airport have been given a fresh coat of paint and sanitary workers are on job removing branches protruding onto ro from sprawling Officers Training Acemy premises at St Thomas Mount. Several retail kiosks, locally kwn as "bunk shops" were removed at Mamallapuram by local authorities. Low lying electricity distribution boxes were removed and hanging power cables replaced in Mamallapuram.

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Recently, Chief Minister K Palaniswami and top officials visited Mamallapuram to monitor preparations for meet. "Statues are being put up in key locations. Buddha and fighting bulls, which is a pointer to Tamil Nu's ancient trition of Jallikattu, are among sculptures which will be featured in Mamallapuram," an official told PTI. statue of Buddha is being put up in Shore Temple premises and ors will come up in or key points, he ded. " idea is to showcase rich Indian cultural herit. Making sculptures with artistic finesse is our historic hallmark and trition continues to this day in Mamallapuram. statues will speak volumes of our workmanship," official said.

Mammallapuram, home to several sculptors, is dotted with shops selling a variety of sculptures and artefacts. Vendors and hawkers around monuments have been asked to keep off during high profile visit. Security has been tightened and plainclosmen are alrey swarming town and "visible patrolling" has been stepped up. Ahe of summit, paramilitary forces are likely to be deployed in and around town. Local hotels have been vised to be cautious while letting out rooms and keep police informed about guests. A 7-star hotel at Guindy in Chennai, a seaside resort near Mamallapuram and ar such facility in coastal town are expected to play host to summit.

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Informal summit in Wuhan

A two-day summit was held in China's Wuhan last year in April. Wuhan Summit, which was second informal meet between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping was held with an aim to improve ties between two nations.  summit was seen as an effort by India and China to repair trust and improve ties after military standoff on in Doklam last year. standoff rocked ties that were alrey seen as tense after India refused to attend a China organised conference on its multi-billion dollar Belt and Ro Initiative.

(with PTI inputs)

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