How the port city of Mamallapuram is preparing for the Indo-China summit

The only things PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will see when they land here on October 11 are sparkling clean roads, freshly washed monuments and lush greenery along the venue

The ancient port city of Mamallapuram is frenetic with activity. Municipal authorities are busy laying new roads, planting trees and removing sellers of knick-knacks from the streets near the city’s key monuments.

The only things Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will see when they land here on October 11 are sparkling clean roads, freshly washed monuments and lush greenery along the road to the venue, as the entire city is being given a makeover to ensure the guests go back with a good impression.

The visitors — perhaps the most famous since Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang’s