Deepavaliyum TNagarum

Inspired by varied experiences of Chakra and many people who are not in India, I thought, let me narrate how it is now in TNagar. And it ended up in almost flooding chakra's comments...here is a reproduction (I am good in that - no pun intended)

Guys, you must be at TNagar to know what it is to do a deepavali purchase! Let me narrate the TNagar for sake of you guys -Offlate there have been heavy showers in the Chennai Maanagaram (Nallor oruvar ularael avar poruttu ellarkkum peiyum mazhai...antha nallor ullooril ullaar), so Deepavali purchase was a bit shadowed down prev week. Not so, in this week.

Last week it was rain and floods, but this week in TNagar it is flooded by people.

Pothys, RmKv, Nalli, Chennai Silks and Kumaran contribute to the kolakalam of Deepavali purchase. WHile RmKv proves out to be the shop for affluent and for elite middle class with their zodiac style sarees, cinderella pattu pavadai et al, Pothys is at the other end wooing the lower middle class with throwaway prices. At Pothys entrance, if you stand (even when you dont intend buying anything) you will automatically be pushed inside the shop and mostly to the first floor. Ellu potta yennai kuda vizhadhu, ellaar muthugilum poi otti kollum. Pothys and RmKv are diagonally opposite each other at Panagal park. So much crowd. And then there is Nalli and Kumaran for those traditionally inclined. Nalli 100 is also crowded with not so elite but affluent middle class.

Lot of thalai deepavali purchases at Kumaran and Nalli. (Nanna border agalama oru shaaree eduthudungo...enna athimber sherithaanay, umakku pattu vetti?). And again Kumaran and Nalli are diagonally opposite to each other. Together, Pothys, RmKv, Nalli and Kumaran contribute to the densely populated polygon of TNagar. ANd not to be left behind, if you walk (get pushed) inside the street of no return namely, the Usman Road, Chennai Silks and GRT welcome you with much bigger crowd that will put a Bryan Adams concert crowd to shame. And then comes famous and liked by the poor class - Saravana stores, Saravana Thanga maligai, Saravana this and Saravana that.

You are exhausted and tired after the nostalgic trip to TNagar. Come, let us sit, relax and have a coffee - thooya philter kaapi - at Gitanjali or Saravana Bhavan. You must be really naive to think, we will have a seat at these hotels. You must be really lucky to first get a seat in these hotels. And then, if you are luckier, one of the suppliers will come to ask you for order. No guarantee, what you ordered is what you get. I recently ordered a coffee and got a falooda, and got the bill for Panneer butter Masala and naan!!!