Heat, Dust, Sea, Sand, Sun, Sambhar, Gold, Silk sarees, Temples & Gopurams – are the phenomenal objects that conjure in my mind whenever I think of the city of Chennai, formerly Madras. Very basic, very human.
Kamraj Domestic to Anna international to Egmore to Chennai Central – wherever it is you alight from, order of things is present. No pot-holes to hit you. It was always there, it is always there. Immaculate roads, highways, flyovers, bridges, street lamps, all reek of a well-maintained infrastructure. Something, we Kolkatans, can’t always boast of!
They may not conform to our notions of beauty, but most of the women are still refreshingly devoid of make-up and the Midas touch of beauty-parlours! But then, I find it absolutely relieving to be able to step out of my home there, without really fussing over my appearance. Even a touch of lipstick or a dash of eye-liner (without which many of Kolkata’s women can’t think of venturing amidst society), is hard to find!
Over the last 5 years that I have been frequenting the city, number of females wearing a pair of jeans or a kurta(minus dupatta) have increased significantly. And up has shot the number of beauty parlours. Of course I wasn’t taking a census of beauty parlours! But the change is so evident that one can’t help but notice!
The frequency of my exclamation marks should be enough, my friends, to make you understand the extent of evolution I have been witness to.
Chennai has etched in my memory some indelible visions which I will surely remember for a long long time to come. One, to start is, that of a lady of about
65 years, clad in a bright violet or yellow or orange nine yards of silk ( something a Bengali lady of same stature would only shiver to think of- “my God! Look at my white hair and the colour of that saree ! ), gajra in her hair, riding pillion in her son’s scooter(yes, scooter still runs rampant in Chennai), laden with gold wherever possible.
With the fast changing winds of Chennai, Dominos and Subway and McDonald’s are frequently seen replacing the age old healthy menu of idli, dosa, pongal and sambhar. But it is still with a lot of pride that a 27 year old Tamil is seen eating his curd-rice during lunch-time in a top corporate office( a bong 27 yr old with a lunch of bhaat,dal,macher jhol will only yuck!!!).
On the flip side though, bongs of Chennai are often heard sniggering “khay to sambhar-idli-dosa…..koto ar taka lage…..shob jomay ar shona kene ar real estate e invest kore.Amra Bangali ra valo kore khawa-dawa kori, oder moto noi”. Well, being a bong, can’t help but acknowledge the truth of it, even if only to a certain extent! After all how much could a veg meal cost on comparison to all the prawns, chicken, mutton, ilish maachh we consume like it is going out of fashion, or supply!!!!
Men – some of the most deliciously handsome men I have encountered on my trips to Chennai, and they are all distinctively tamils, or at least south Indians. They are gorgeous, self-assured, easy-going hunks, to say the least J If idli-sambhar is the secret behind such physique, my dear bong-men, rise, wake……..eat tons of idli and drown yourself in sambhar J
Is it mostly that we say that Mumbai is a good place to shop? Take a peek at the T Nagar stores of Sarees, Gold jewellery and utensils. I can vouch for Kolkata at least, that nothing of the magnitude can be seen here. Recently we have been feeling very proud of a 3 storey saree outlet near Triangular Park in Kolkata, but these shops of Chennai can give them a big run for their money. You’ll feel lost amidst the sarees, your eyes will take a minimum of half an hour to merely adjust to the glint and glitter of a gold shop, noticing the jewellery or the design of a bangle or necklace comes much much later! And don’t even dream of thinking that these sarees and jewellery are on show forever. For Chennai people invest heavily on these. Pieces of jewellery and 9 yards of silk fly off counters like hot cake. During one of my shopping sprees, I rather sheepishly held out my credit card to be swiped for the two sarees I had selected for my mother and me ( mind it, the amount was nearly a 9K…a Lot for me, in case you didn’t understand, given that the minimum number of packages people {men & women} were swerving onto the counter was around 8 to 10 ( $money$money$money$ )!!! I am starting to believe that it’s rather a good idea to marry a Tamil ( i.e., if anyone would have me! ) …… but instantly, my old bong soul shrieks “only idli-sambhar-pongal….chingri-maachh ar patha’r mangsho gulo’r ki hobe tahole?!” Way out could of course be a very non-vegetarian tamil guy ( like one of my friends have chosen ;-) ).
Talking of food, whoever said that Chennai is a land of idli-dosa coast-lined by a sea of sambhar!?! Variety of food is the spice of a foodie like me. Chennai serves to all kinds of palate – spicy, bland, sweet, sour – Mughlai, Chinese, Continental, Mongolian, Italian, Mexican, Bengali, Punjabi, Konkani, Chettinad – and lots more! Of course, the sea-food there needs no accolades from me as it speaks for itself, with some of the finest dishes of fish, crab, calamari, lobsters boasted of by restaurants (big & small alike). So next time you are visiting Chennai, just don’t feel scared about food. Go ahead, and explore to your heart’s content.
The sea is warm & the breeze is balmy. The beaches throng with men, women and children of all ages. The heat, dust and sun tantamount to a most tropical weather. And the ancient temples boasting huge Gopurams, stand mute spectator to the changes, transcending ages. As I fly off in an evening flight, the bird’s eye view of surf breaking on the sand makes an indelible impression on my mind which I’ll cherish for a long long time to come.
Kamraj Domestic to Anna international to Egmore to Chennai Central – wherever it is you alight from, order of things is present. No pot-holes to hit you. It was always there, it is always there. Immaculate roads, highways, flyovers, bridges, street lamps, all reek of a well-maintained infrastructure. Something, we Kolkatans, can’t always boast of!
They may not conform to our notions of beauty, but most of the women are still refreshingly devoid of make-up and the Midas touch of beauty-parlours! But then, I find it absolutely relieving to be able to step out of my home there, without really fussing over my appearance. Even a touch of lipstick or a dash of eye-liner (without which many of Kolkata’s women can’t think of venturing amidst society), is hard to find!
Over the last 5 years that I have been frequenting the city, number of females wearing a pair of jeans or a kurta(minus dupatta) have increased significantly. And up has shot the number of beauty parlours. Of course I wasn’t taking a census of beauty parlours! But the change is so evident that one can’t help but notice!
The frequency of my exclamation marks should be enough, my friends, to make you understand the extent of evolution I have been witness to.
Chennai has etched in my memory some indelible visions which I will surely remember for a long long time to come. One, to start is, that of a lady of about
65 years, clad in a bright violet or yellow or orange nine yards of silk ( something a Bengali lady of same stature would only shiver to think of- “my God! Look at my white hair and the colour of that saree ! ), gajra in her hair, riding pillion in her son’s scooter(yes, scooter still runs rampant in Chennai), laden with gold wherever possible.With the fast changing winds of Chennai, Dominos and Subway and McDonald’s are frequently seen replacing the age old healthy menu of idli, dosa, pongal and sambhar. But it is still with a lot of pride that a 27 year old Tamil is seen eating his curd-rice during lunch-time in a top corporate office( a bong 27 yr old with a lunch of bhaat,dal,macher jhol will only yuck!!!).
On the flip side though, bongs of Chennai are often heard sniggering “khay to sambhar-idli-dosa…..koto ar taka lage…..shob jomay ar shona kene ar real estate e invest kore.Amra Bangali ra valo kore khawa-dawa kori, oder moto noi”. Well, being a bong, can’t help but acknowledge the truth of it, even if only to a certain extent! After all how much could a veg meal cost on comparison to all the prawns, chicken, mutton, ilish maachh we consume like it is going out of fashion, or supply!!!!
Men – some of the most deliciously handsome men I have encountered on my trips to Chennai, and they are all distinctively tamils, or at least south Indians. They are gorgeous, self-assured, easy-going hunks, to say the least J If idli-sambhar is the secret behind such physique, my dear bong-men, rise, wake……..eat tons of idli and drown yourself in sambhar J
Is it mostly that we say that Mumbai is a good place to shop? Take a peek at the T Nagar stores of Sarees, Gold jewellery and utensils. I can vouch for Kolkata at least, that nothing of the magnitude can be seen here. Recently we have been feeling very proud of a 3 storey saree outlet near Triangular Park in Kolkata, but these shops of Chennai can give them a big run for their money. You’ll feel lost amidst the sarees, your eyes will take a minimum of half an hour to merely adjust to the glint and glitter of a gold shop, noticing the jewellery or the design of a bangle or necklace comes much much later! And don’t even dream of thinking that these sarees and jewellery are on show forever. For Chennai people invest heavily on these. Pieces of jewellery and 9 yards of silk fly off counters like hot cake. During one of my shopping sprees, I rather sheepishly held out my credit card to be swiped for the two sarees I had selected for my mother and me ( mind it, the amount was nearly a 9K…a Lot for me, in case you didn’t understand, given that the minimum number of packages people {men & women} were swerving onto the counter was around 8 to 10 ( $money$money$money$ )!!! I am starting to believe that it’s rather a good idea to marry a Tamil ( i.e., if anyone would have me! ) …… but instantly, my old bong soul shrieks “only idli-sambhar-pongal….chingri-maachh ar patha’r mangsho gulo’r ki hobe tahole?!” Way out could of course be a very non-vegetarian tamil guy ( like one of my friends have chosen ;-) ).
Talking of food, whoever said that Chennai is a land of idli-dosa coast-lined by a sea of sambhar!?! Variety of food is the spice of a foodie like me. Chennai serves to all kinds of palate – spicy, bland, sweet, sour – Mughlai, Chinese, Continental, Mongolian, Italian, Mexican, Bengali, Punjabi, Konkani, Chettinad – and lots more! Of course, the sea-food there needs no accolades from me as it speaks for itself, with some of the finest dishes of fish, crab, calamari, lobsters boasted of by restaurants (big & small alike). So next time you are visiting Chennai, just don’t feel scared about food. Go ahead, and explore to your heart’s content.
The sea is warm & the breeze is balmy. The beaches throng with men, women and children of all ages. The heat, dust and sun tantamount to a most tropical weather. And the ancient temples boasting huge Gopurams, stand mute spectator to the changes, transcending ages. As I fly off in an evening flight, the bird’s eye view of surf breaking on the sand makes an indelible impression on my mind which I’ll cherish for a long long time to come.
So Madras hasn't changed. Except being Chennai. I was there in the city for about a couple of months in 1988. When I was about 7 or 8. And undoubtedly had what they call "one of the best time of life". We used to stay at Egmore. I had quite a few friends of my age, and though we did not understand each others language, what a time we used to have in the lone afternoons. cricket, hide and seek, frolicking, tree climbing and even fighting with a heavy dose of quarreling. While my parents were complaining about the summer heat of Chennai, I was out running down the alleyways.
ReplyDeleteSome memories of the place are etched in mind forever, like the colorful sarees, scooters, jewelry and flower ornaments. Madras hasn't changed at all! I remember the ladies not only to don least make-up, they are one of the warmest and friendliest in the country. Madras hasn't changed the least!
the only difference I find is the food. In the 1988 era there was not the 'crab, calamari, lobsters' available, at least I didn't find them. We only could find big round, paper-thin omelets. Dad used to say,"dhosa baaniye baaniye abhyes to! jaabe kothaay?" And fried fish, garnished with chilli-powder. Damn! It was HOT, my eyes still waters with the memory of those pint-sized nukes!