Dakshinachitra - A Timeless Portrait - Design Detail

November 29, 2019, 6:30:00 PM

In this article published by Design Detail magazine, Dr Benny Kuriakose discusses the concepts, ideas, and themes behind the ambitious heritage plan of Dakshinachitra, Chennai. Traditions and culture bind the ethnic fabric that has woven the fine tapestry along the peninsula of India. The southern states that bind the Indian plate amidst the mighty Arabian Sea and the epic Bay of Bengal are Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. It is filled with mystic tales and spiced aromas that instil deep feelings etched into the lives of southerners in India.

The ethnicity spread around these regions was sculpted to form the place called Dakshinachitra, also known as the "picture of the south.” The Dakshinachitra Museum, the Heritage Village in ECR, Chennai, showcasing the vibrance of South Indian heritage and culture, opened to the public on the 14th of December, 1996. Following his mentor, Laurie Baker, who conceptualised and established the museum's master plan, Dr Benny Kuriakose went on to design the public buildings and traditional-style houses in the Kerala section and was also involved in the transplantation of buildings in the Karnataka and Andhra sections.