The Government College of Architecture and Sculpture at Mamallapuram takes just 60 students a year into three four-year degrees: 10 in B.Tech Traditional Architecture, 40 in BFA Traditional Sculpture and 10 in BFA Traditional Drawing and Painting, according to the Department of Art and Culture. Applications for 2026-27 closed on 30 June 2026, Dinamalar reported.
For a Chennai family whose child carves, draws or is drawn to temple building, it is the most direct route into the traditional craft, at fees that barely reach a few thousand rupees a year. Here is how the college works and what the next admission round is likely to ask.
From training centre to degree college
The college on East Coast Road began in 1957 as a Sculpture Training Centre under the Department of Industries and Commerce, set up to revive temple sculpture and architecture. Its early students took a four-year proficiency certificate. In 1975-76 the Directorate of Technical Education brought in diploma courses and renamed it the Tamil Nadu Training Centre of Architecture and Sculpture. A B.Sc in Sculpture followed in 1984, and the three-year degree later became the present four-year programmes.
It was once affiliated to the University of Madras and now comes under the Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University, the 2021-22 policy note says.
Courses and seats
| Course (four years) | Seats |
|---|---|
| B.Tech Traditional Architecture | 10 |
| BFA Traditional Sculpture: stone | 5 |
| BFA Traditional Sculpture: sudhai (stucco) | 15 |
| BFA Traditional Sculpture: wood | 15 |
| BFA Traditional Sculpture: metal | 5 |
| BFA Traditional Drawing and Painting | 10 |
The stone and metal streams are the smallest, with five seats each, so competition there is tightest. Sudhai is the lime-based stucco used for gopuram and vimana figures, and wood covers temple cars and carved doors.
Who can apply
The 2026-27 notice set these conditions:
- Architecture: Plus Two or equivalent with mathematics.
- Sculpture, and Drawing and Painting: Plus Two or equivalent in any group.
- Age: at least 17 on 1 July 2026. The upper limit was 26 for general candidates and 23 for BC, MBC and DNC candidates, with no upper limit for SC and ST candidates.
The department’s own college page still gives a single upper age limit of 23, so check the age rule in the notice for the year you apply.
How the admission round works
- Download the application from the Art and Culture Department’s website when the notice appears. In 2026 it came out in May.
- Pay the application fee by online transfer to the college’s State Bank of India account, as given in the notice. In 2026 it was Rs 500, or Rs 250 for SC and ST candidates.
- Post the completed form, copies of certificates and the payment details to The Principal, Government College of Architecture and Sculpture, Mamallapuram 603 104.
- Meet the deadline: 30 June in 2026.
The college phone number listed by the department is 044 2744 2261.
Fees and hostel
According to the department’s college page, yearly charges are:
- Tuition: Rs 420 (waived for SC and ST students)
- Special fees: Rs 800
- University fees: Rs 1,150
- College fees: Rs 1,040
- Refundable caution deposit: Rs 2,000
There is a hostel on campus for male students. The college page does not mention a hostel for women, so women students from Chennai should ask before joining or plan to commute along ECR.
Why Mamallapuram
The town’s carving tradition has formal recognition. Mahabalipuram Stone Sculpture is a registered Geographical Indication; the GI register shows that Poompuhar, the state handicrafts corporation, filed for it on 31 May 2013 and that the certificate was issued on 15 November 2017. Students study a short walk from the Pallava-era monuments and from working sculpture yards along the main road, which gives the courses a living context few campuses can match.
Quick answers
How many seats does the Mamallapuram sculpture college have?
Sixty in all: 10 in architecture, 40 in sculpture across four materials and 10 in drawing and painting.
Is maths compulsory?
Only for B.Tech Traditional Architecture. The BFA courses accept a Plus Two pass in any group.
When are applications invited?
Once a year. In 2026 the notice came in May and the last date was 30 June.
What does a year cost?
Listed charges add up to under Rs 3,500 a year, plus a Rs 2,000 refundable deposit, with tuition waived for SC and ST students.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- About the institution: Government College of Architecture and Sculpture (Department of Art and Culture)
- Applications open for architecture and sculpture degree courses (Dinamalar Kalvimalar)
- Art and Culture Policy Note 2021-22 (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Contact us (Department of Art and Culture, Tamil Nadu)
- Mahabalipuram Stone Sculpture, GI application 426 (Intellectual Property India)
