Red carpet rolled out for Modi-Xi meet at Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu

Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu is going through a massive makeover ahead of the important India-China summit that will be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese President is slated to reach the Chennai airport on Friday and will be directly transported to his hotel.
As per the schedule, the Chinese President will meet Prime Minister Modi for tea and will leave for sightseeing of the four landmark monuments of Mamallapuram at 5 PM in the evening. These four iconic structures include the Arjuna's Penance, Krishna's Butterball, Pancha Rathas and the Shore Temple.

Ahead of world leaders’ visit, the city is prepping up and cleaning work at all the monuments are going on. At all the heritage sites, wooden walkways have been installed for the leaders. All these places will also see beautiful green grass lawns and lovely lights to add to the photo op.
Close to the Shore Temple, a huge statue of Buddha has been installed which is significant of cultural exchange between two powerful countries. The same day, a cultural programme is planned inside the Shore Temple, which will be followed by dinner at the Fishermen's Cove. This is also the place where Prime Minister Modi will be staying for the summit.

However, amidst all this happening, tourists planning to visit the monuments are left disappointed because of several restrictions. They are not allowed inside the monument as entry is restricted at the outside itself.

The route that President Xi is to take in the city has received a huge makeover. All the roads on the said route have gone through renovation, right from the new signboards and reflectors to installation of CCTV cameras and to remove thick shrubbery on the way.

The state government is hoping that this international summit in Mamallapuram will definitely help boost tourism in Tamil Nadu.