Tamil Nadu English news | Tamil Nadu, Latest News & Live Updates in English | English News (Latest English News) at Lokmattimes.com

M. Elanchezhian (31), a fruit and vegetable carving artiste in Tamil Nadu's Theni district, has carved out the images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on a watermelon as a mark of welcome for the Chinese leader.Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive here on Friday afternoon on his maiden two-day visit to the state. At around 4 p.m., he will travel by road to Mahabalipuram to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders are scheduled to view the world-famous stone carvings there on Friday and Saturday.Elanchezhian, who hails from Gudulur in Theni district, about 600 km from Mahabalipuram, has also carved the words "Welcome to India" in Chinese with the help of his Taiwanese friend."I had to wait for some days to get a suitable-sized fruit. The watermelon I used to carve out the portraits of the two leaders weighed about 4-5 kg," Elanchezhian told over phone from Gudalur."Trying to display the carving at the hotels where the leaders will be meeting or staying would involve a lot of permissions. Hence, I did not try for that. Nevertheless, I have done my small bit with this art which is also very popular in China," Elanchezhian said.According to him, Chinese are also experts in this art.A catering technology graduate, Elanchezhian decided to turn professional in this line and started teaching interested students. He also takes classes in catering institutes."People who go for work in hotel kitchens get higher pay if they know how to carve fruits and vegetable," he said.Elanchezhian had earlier carved the images of former US President Barack Obama, late Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran.The popularity of the art is gaining fast and even the Tamil Nadu government's Horticulture Department has allocated some money for fruit and vegetable carvings.Queried whether he would carve images out of vegetables when his wife asks him to help out with cutting, he laughed and said: "At times I would cut small rose flower out of beetroot and put them in soup."Elanchezhian said he can do the fruit carving blindfolded or with knife in his mouth."On hearing or seeing this, people with disability can gain confidence and can learn," he said.( With inputs from IANS )

Tamil NaduFOLLOW

Tamil nadu, Latest News

The second informal summit between Chinese President Xi Jingping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which began in India on Friday, will "set the tone and direction for the next stage of China-India ties," an influential Chinese English daily s ...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had detailed discussions on Friday on varied issues, including terrorism, increasing radicalisation, enhancing bilateral trade between the two nations and investments, among others, ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will gift Nachiarkoil, a six-feet Annam lamp richly coated with gold and a three-feet high Thanjavur painting of dancing Saraswathi to Chinese President Xi Jinping at the second informal summit between the two leaders he ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took Tamil Nadu by surprise by wearing the traditional Tamil attire - white veshti/dhoti and angavastaram over a white half-sleeve shirt as he met and took Chinese President Xi Jinping around the world famous sc ...

The killer tiger in Karnataka's Bandipur reserve forest continues to elude the state guards as the hunt to capture it entered the third day on Friday. ...

Tamil Nadu's picturesque seaside town of Mahabalipuram is all set to host the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping that begins on Friday. ...

Tamil Nadu's picturesque seaside town of Mahabalipuram is all geared up to host the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping that begins on Friday. ...

Sculpture seems to be the flavour of the season now. ...