Dakshinchitra, Living museum on East Coast Road, Tamil Nadu, India.
Dakshinchitra is an open-air museum on the East Coast Road in Tamil Nadu that displays traditional houses from across South India. Each structure uses original materials like wood, clay, and baked brick to show how people built homes in different regions.
The museum opened in the mid-nineties as a project to safeguard regional building traditions and craft knowledge. Its founders wanted to create a living archive where old skills could be learned and passed on.
Craftspeople work inside the reconstructed houses, demonstrating techniques like weaving and metalwork in settings that show how these trades fit into daily life. Watching someone shape clay or dye fabric lets you see skills passed down through generations without interruption.
The site opens mid-morning on weekdays and stays open an hour longer on Saturdays and Sundays. Pathways between buildings are mostly flat and laid on firm ground.
Some of the reconstructed houses include kitchens with open hearths and storage rooms that show how families once kept and cooked their food. These interiors give a window into everyday routines that go beyond just architecture.
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