* Thannithurai Market
Buckingham Canal is a salt water navigation canal, running parallel to the Eastern coast, for over 420 km. It starts at Peddakanjam town on Krishna river (Krishna dist in AP) and after running in Chennai city, runs south and ends at Marakkanam of Villupuram dist. It was constructed in 1806, by the British for ferrying goods and sometimes people also.
The canal runs for nearly 31 km in Chennai city, and in pre-1950s its waters were clean and there was boat-transport. Where this canal flows near Luz Corner, in Mylapore, there is a vegetable market, called THANNI THURAI MARKET. ("Thurai" means where boats come and anchor).
Mr Bhashyam Iyengar, a Judge in Madras High Court owned this land, and he constructed this vegetable market, perhaps in 1901. Boats carrying freshest vegetables from south Andhra would anchor at the Thurai and vegetables sold in the market. Since the boats arrived only in the mornings, the Thanni thurai market will be the busiest in the morning times.
Ashok was born in Balakrishna Road, Mylapore, just metres away from this market, and I remember Vijaya's appa (GN Yegnaswamy Iyer) ambling across in the early hours and returning with fresh keerais and other vegetables).
This market was mostly patronised by Brahmins, and was known as "Iyer Market" also. "Somehow our business has revolved around the Brahmin community. They have patronized us throughout. We have also learnt to behave well and be cultured from our Brahmin customers. We have been very much influenced by them. They have been our guides," says one long-standing vegetable seller of this market.
Now, the BC stinks with stagnant filthy water, the boats have vanished, the importance of thanni thurai market has also waned. Though it has lost its old-world lustre, the market is even now busy in the mornings.
Mr Bhashyam Iyengar, the HC Judge, constructed many facilities for the vendors in the market, but after his death, his son lost interest and tried to sell out the land. 10 - 15 vendors joined together and purchased the land from him and continued the business. Many of these vendors are in this market for 3 - 4 generations !
Today's (22nd) newspaper says that a private builder has purchased the land (8.5 grounds) from these 10-15 vendors and is evicting all the vendors to build a mall, what else. A mall is a mall and just a mall; You can't differentiate or distinguish one mall from another - they all wear the same artificial, glassy and lifeless look. But a place like Thannithurai market add colour and feature to the neighbourhood.
BUT, DO WE CARE FOR SUCH NICETIES IN TODAY'S COMMERCIAL WORLD?
Another feature of Mylapore lost forever. A pity.
Rajappa
22 Sep 2006
Buckingham Canal is a salt water navigation canal, running parallel to the Eastern coast, for over 420 km. It starts at Peddakanjam town on Krishna river (Krishna dist in AP) and after running in Chennai city, runs south and ends at Marakkanam of Villupuram dist. It was constructed in 1806, by the British for ferrying goods and sometimes people also.
The canal runs for nearly 31 km in Chennai city, and in pre-1950s its waters were clean and there was boat-transport. Where this canal flows near Luz Corner, in Mylapore, there is a vegetable market, called THANNI THURAI MARKET. ("Thurai" means where boats come and anchor).
Mr Bhashyam Iyengar, a Judge in Madras High Court owned this land, and he constructed this vegetable market, perhaps in 1901. Boats carrying freshest vegetables from south Andhra would anchor at the Thurai and vegetables sold in the market. Since the boats arrived only in the mornings, the Thanni thurai market will be the busiest in the morning times.
Ashok was born in Balakrishna Road, Mylapore, just metres away from this market, and I remember Vijaya's appa (GN Yegnaswamy Iyer) ambling across in the early hours and returning with fresh keerais and other vegetables).
This market was mostly patronised by Brahmins, and was known as "Iyer Market" also. "Somehow our business has revolved around the Brahmin community. They have patronized us throughout. We have also learnt to behave well and be cultured from our Brahmin customers. We have been very much influenced by them. They have been our guides," says one long-standing vegetable seller of this market.
Now, the BC stinks with stagnant filthy water, the boats have vanished, the importance of thanni thurai market has also waned. Though it has lost its old-world lustre, the market is even now busy in the mornings.
Mr Bhashyam Iyengar, the HC Judge, constructed many facilities for the vendors in the market, but after his death, his son lost interest and tried to sell out the land. 10 - 15 vendors joined together and purchased the land from him and continued the business. Many of these vendors are in this market for 3 - 4 generations !
Today's (22nd) newspaper says that a private builder has purchased the land (8.5 grounds) from these 10-15 vendors and is evicting all the vendors to build a mall, what else. A mall is a mall and just a mall; You can't differentiate or distinguish one mall from another - they all wear the same artificial, glassy and lifeless look. But a place like Thannithurai market add colour and feature to the neighbourhood.
BUT, DO WE CARE FOR SUCH NICETIES IN TODAY'S COMMERCIAL WORLD?
Another feature of Mylapore lost forever. A pity.
Rajappa
22 Sep 2006
Comments
Post a Comment