The two leaders of two big Asian nations - - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping - - will be spending about six hours together on Friday and Saturday during their second informal summit to be held in world famous Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram about 60 km from here.
Modi and Xi will enjoy Tamil delicacies for dinner on Friday.
While Modi has reached a beach resort near Mamallapuram, Xi has just set his foot on Chennai soil.
He will be reaching Mamallapuram in the evening.
Both the leaders will view three famous monuments - - Five Rathas, Arjuna Penance and the Shore Temple.
The Five Monoliths or Five Rathas: This group is cut out solid rocks.
These are five free standing monolithic temples.
However, without any historical links with the five Pandava brothers - Yudhishthira, Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva and their wife Draupadi in the Indian epic Mahabharat.
In the midst of the Five Rathas there is also a huge elephant sculpture and also that of a lion.
Arjuna Penance: One of the magnificent monuments of Mahabalipuram is the Arjuna Penance.
On a large boulder several rows of Hindu Gods have been chiseled all facing towards a sage/person who is on a penance standing on his left leg.
Apart from the Gods, images of hunters, sages, animals and others have been carved out.
The image of Lord Shiva is also carved on the right side of the person on penance.
It is said, Mahabharat hero Arjuna was standing in penance to seek the Pasupathastra from Lord Shiva.
Shore Temple: Close to the sea is the Shore Temple built during 700 - 728 AD.
It is a three shrine configuration - two dedicated to Lord Shiva and one for Lord Vishnu.
According to the local populace, during the 2004 December tsunami, several rock sculptures were exposed.
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