Five years ago when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping during the India-China informal summit held in Chennai in October 2019, he threw a slew of surprises. Modi wore a native Tamil attire, spoke in Tamil, walked Xi all over the shores of Mahabalipuram showcasing the richness of Tamil culture.
On October 12, 2019, Modi welcomed Xi at the popular Mahabalipuram, a town on the outskirts of Chennai, drenched in rich history and enigmatic old-age charm. Walking by the beach and sitting in front of the 7th century Panch Ratha monument at Mahabalipuram, Modi and Xi sipped coconut water as they spoke on bilateral relations between the two countries. They spoke on scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. The two leaders discussed bilateral ties, strengthening the relationship between India and China.
From opting to wear a native ‘veshti’ (dhoti) to talking in Tamil to cleaning the beach of Kovalam near Chennai, Modi was all in praise for Tamil Nadu and efforts by the state government in organising the summit at Mahabalipuram. Clad in a cream-colour ‘veshti’, half-sleeved shirt and a long ‘angavasthram’, Modi walked down through Mahabalipuram with Xi, explaining to the Chinese leader facets of Tamil heritage and culture. Modi was seen as being very comfortable in his new attire.
The sumptuous feast enjoyed by the two leaders during the two-day meet in Chennai was a complete south Indian spread—dominated by Tamil and Kerala cuisine. The feast included a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian delicacies ranging from ‘arachuvitta sambar’ to ‘thakkali rasam’. Meat dishes like lobster, mutton, chicken strips and seafood also featured on the menu. Dishes like ‘karuvepillai meen varuval’, ‘pacha sundakai aricha kozhambu’ also featured in the list. The images of Modi and Xi chatting in front of the Pancha Ratha monument, standing and posing for a photo in front of Krishna’s butter ball and walking near the Arjuna’s Penace were a visual treat then.