Traditional Chettinad Food...!!!

Raj, can you write some thing about "Traditional Chettinad Food" and some of the best places in Chennai, where we can get Chettinad Food?

Chennai Facts I ~ the Queen of the Coromandel

Chennai once dubbed as the Queen of the Coromandel is less than 400 years old. During its first 150 years, however, it was the Gateway of India. Did you know that it was the first city of modern India. Today, it's the Gateway to the Southwith global class sea port and airport.

Alas! It's old name Madras was more charming.

Rathna Cafe, Chennai Restaurant ~ Surving the tastes of time

Some establishments just refuse to be cowed down by the onslaught of modernism, surprisingly. Rathne Cafe at Triplicane, Chennai, is one of them.

An integral part of Triplicane since the past six decades, this restaurant was the haunt of many beach goers, celebrities and diehard 'idli sambar' lovers.

The long paper masalas, filter coffees and steaming hot idlis soaked in sambar are the signature dishes of this place. Perched on the busy Triplicane High Road, this restaurant has been witness to tremendous changes around over the last 60 years.

Highrise structures that came about since the '80s, small businesses that turned this into a business cum commercial area, zipping autos and the descent of students and working professionals turning Triplicane into a bahchelors' paradise, the Chepauk Stadium and the MRTS.

It has also seen the near demise of the cycle rickshaw. While ownership has changed over the recent years, the food remains the same. And oldtimers still swear by the South Indian eats, despite the parking hazzards on this road. It has recently opened a second outlet at GN Chetty Road, Chennai.

The place a bit trendier now, although it still offers the idli podi, ghee and oil for a few rupees. The first floor has been airconditioned to retain clients who would othewise move to more plush eatouts.

Success doesn't mean changing to the new. It means keeping traditions alive despite change. Don't you agree?

Chennai Restaurants, Rathna Cafe, Triplicane.

Gorgeous Lord Krishna Temple ~ ISKCON Chennai

Hare Krishna.

ISKCON Chennai is constructing a very Gorgeous Temple at Hare Krishna Land in Injambakkam. It is one of the important project taken by ISKCON Chennai as per the guidance of "His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. He always used to tell Krishna Devotees "In Madras, we have to construct a very Gorgeous Temple". And now beautiful Radha Krishna temple is taking shape with high standards of worship, cleanliness, and satisfying spiritual vibrations.

This temple is already started acting as a center for Krishna Nama Sankirtana and to learn the science of self realization and God realization based on the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatham and Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya.

ISKCON Chennai is presently located in Injambakkam, off the East Coast Road, where the first phase of the 'Gorgeous Temple Project' is in progress. The Krishna temple is 24 kms. away from the Chennai railway station, 25 kms. from the airport and 9 kms. from the place called Tiruvanmiyur. A guest room with attached bath is available for ISKCON life patrons.

Please visit the temple with below address...

ISKCON,
Hare Krishna Land,
Injambakkam,
Chennai - 41.
Phone numbers: 91-044-5549 9502/3091 1472.

Please Chant

Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare.

Hare Rama
Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare.

And Be Happy...!!!

Meeting an Author ~ Jack Trout at Landmark, Chennai

Years ago I landed at Landmark to listen to Jack Trout, a positioning Guru who partnered with Al Ries to write bestsellers like 'Positioning' and 'Marketing Warfare'.

Humble and at ease with the flashing cameras and the curious crowd, he fielded questions from all. One person from the audience wanted a business idea that would work. Promptly, Jack told him to try manufacturing noiseless generators. And added, you'd be one of the richest millionnaires in the world.

Later, I felt very proud when he said that Nirma's Karsanbhai Patel was a case study at the Harvard School of Business. At once I felt sad that not many MBA institutes teach the same here. It a cultural problem that we refuse to acknowledge greatness and take note of it when the same is talked or written about in the West. Two personalities come to my mind instantlyare Jiddu Krishnamurthy and Osho.

Entertainment and Shopping ~ The past and present of Chennai India

In the last decade, the Chennai’s entertainment scene has transformed unbelievably to the delight of those thirsting for some action. While the 80’s and early 90’s meant just the Marina and Elliots beaches, the mid-nineties saw the mushrooming of Pool Parlours and later Bowling Centres in Chennai. Of course, the Resorts on the erstwhile New Mahabalipuram Road were always there.

Changes in the average spending power, a re-look at lifestyle, and the trend in leisure activity soon saw Chennaiites gleefully get into parasailing, parajumping, go-karting and equestrian. But, somehow, there’s nothing like the allure of water sports. The young and the old are delighted to ride on it and have a splash.

Who can forget Muttukadu? Located 36 kms from Chennai on the ECR, this tranquil backwaters of the Bay of Bengal has charmed us all for years. The shallow waters amidst the idyllic surroundings make boating an ideal pastime. While the less adventurous can get onto the boat house, row, pedal or motor boats, the daring types can jump onto water scooters and, perhaps, catch up on wind surfing. Come February and Muttukadu will host a wind surfing regatta together with other water sports.

Tarsha Water Sports is a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. A water sports enthusiast’s delight, it offers myriad opportunities – skiing, windsurfing, parasailing, wake and knee- boarding, speed boating and kayaking. Get the cool wind blowing in your as you have splash around here.

Another family getaway is situated 30 kms from Chennai on the Chennai-Bangalore highway, close to the Hyundai Factory, goes by the name Dash ‘n’ splash.

Kishkinta with its five large lakes is a popular destination for water-based leisure activity. Apart from the usual boating and water rides, the star attraction is the fast-paced water scooting. Yeah, the ones you see in the movies. The two-seater water scooters can get your adrenalin pumping, touching speeds of upto 60 kms per hour. Quite incomparable, you can have the thrill of your lives. Don’t worry; if you’re knocked off the zipping scooter, rescue is at hand.

Any visitor to the city, a few decades ago, would be charmed by its broad roads, neat streets, round tanas and striking architectural marvels of the Indo Saracenic style. One can’t forget the Presidency College the peculiar Ice House building, not to forget the Senate House, Egmore Museum, Rippon Buildings and Fort St George.

Old timers fondly remember the Marina Beach, a cheap entertainment those days but with much more space to walk around and, certainly, cleaner. There were days when cinema meant ‘touring talkies’ (Jayanthi and Thegaraya theatres in Thiruvanmiyur included). No permanent structures and the caravan would move on every six months or so. One could squat on the sands or sit on wooden benches. Action scenes were greeted with cat calls and whistles, sometimes even spontaneous dances. The influential cinema gear could even get a scene re-run in the theatres.

Roxy, New Elphinstone, Eros, Minerva and Globe theaters drew large crowds. Infact, there was an Electirc theatre (in Chindaripet) built in 1913, by Warwick Major to screens silent movies.

The majesty of Mount Road was for all to see. Spencers, India’s first supermarket, is a landmark, then and now. Higginbothams was a book-lover’s paradise, showcasing all and sundry. There was one other place where you could get the same books for a song Moore Market. Where the railway reservation building is now located stood Madras second hand book buzaar. And, my professor used to say, “I could carry a sack full of literary works for less than hundred rupees.

Amazingly the early 20th century Madras had tram’s running through its busy thorugh fares. And boats went down the cooum, even beside the Central Railways Station and Egmore. The next time you pass by Co-optex at Egmore, stop by at the cooum and spot the boat bays. A standing testimony to the good old days of the cooum.

Cycle rickshaws, and earlier hand-pulled rickshaws, ruled the roads even till the 1970s. Baby taxis were for the affordable class. Till autos came on the scene, and now we have call taxis share autos and of course, the flamboyant modern cars.

In the 1970s I remember watching cricket matches from the terrace of m grandma’s home on Bells’s Road. Chepauk didn’t have its stadium and one could watch all the sters from close quarters.

So much for the charm of Old Madras Chennai, since 1996, is now a concrete jungle where madness seems to prevail and every old structure, not to speak of trees, is brought down to raise large commercial complexes. Of course, changing times has ushered in better entertainment for the citizens, bowling, billiards, parasailing and water scooting.

Chennai is now a quaint mix of tradition and modernity, Chennai though continues to charm in other ways. The malls being one of them. Spencers has come out with its third phase, Nungambakkam has Ispahani Centre, Purasawalkam prides on the new Abirami Mega Mall and Alsa Mall still survives in Egmore. Shopping seems t be a favourite pastime what with Lifestyle, Globus, Shopper’s Stop, Stori and Hi-style.

Though one longs for the steaming hot idlis and mouth-watering sambars in Udupi Bhavans and Rathna Café’s, the city today offers much more. From Italian, Mexican, Lebanese, Korean to the ubiquitous Chinese and the recent Chettinad, delectable dishes from across the globe await to tickle your palates.

Surely, there’s no dearth for entertainment in this metropolis…. pool parlous and bowling centers dot the neighbourhoods. However, for more adventure head to the Kishkinta, MGM Dizee World, VGP and the like. Bored of them, try equestrian, para jumping wind, surfing or water scooting.

Thankfully you can still take a breath taking view of the city from the window of MRTS, India’s first elevated railways. Or catch a different perspective of the Chennai city from the double decker buses on Mount Road.

Bullet - the Mean Machine

In a world full of sleek lighter bikes, the legendary bullet is still alive and roaring. Almost written off as ‘a bike past its prime,’ the black beauty has its own bunch of die-hard motorists. It’s not for those who seek to commute to office and back, it’s an ideal power machine for weekend biking. Something that makes you stand out. “Everyone makes way for the bullet and she is an attention-grabber,” says Premanand, a young twenty-something who works for a multinational bank, and thrives on those looks it gets on the roads.

Originally made in Britain, the rugged bike, with the ‘Built like a Gun’ trademark,’ was shipped into India in the 1950s for the military and police to traverse the harsh Indian terrain. Later, a manufacturing unit was set up in Madras. Unfortunately, poor marketing forced the company to close operations in 1970. Soon, Enfield India rolled out indigenous bullets.

Unlike in the West where the bike is a symbol of individual personality, in India where over 10 million vehicles ply on the rods, people want a bike that makes travel cheaper. But, for the growing urban crowd that wants to get away on weekends on long drives, the bullet is comfortable machine. The only hassle being, many think the bike is heavy, tough to handle and lacks in design and colour.

Not any longer, the newer sportier models are easier to ride, designed better and come in a variety of colours. The Machismo, for example, is the first bullet with a 5-speed gearbox and gearshift on the left. The Thunderbird is another cool bike from the stables of one of the oldest motorcycle companies in the world. Electra has better seating comfort and great shockers.

When Enfield India launched their first Bullet Club in Bangalore, in 1995, little did they realize that it’d draw in a large number of enthusiasts. Today, with more than ten clubs, these motorists are organizing regular meetings and events. In 1997, 40 such members undertook an adventure to the inhospitable Khardungla, one of the highest motorable roads in the Himalayas. While they found mention in the Limca Book of Records, the legendary ‘Dare Devils’ team from the The Corps of Signal, formed a human pyramid of 201 men on ten 350 cc bullets, riding a distance of over 200 metres, creating a world record.

Its sturdiness and maintenance-free features are well known.

For those who like a bit of history, the Enfield Bullet has plenty to offer. Enfield was the first to use the swinging arm suspension and rear shock absorbers on their standard bikes. They were the first motorcycles in India, enjoying a monopoly in its hey days with just a sprinkle of the now-forgotten Yezdis and Jawas. And it’s one of the oldest surviving bikes in the world.

Despite the onslaught of the 100 ccs, there are still plenty of motorists, who swear by their bullets. “It’s a man’s bike,” says a proud Balaji, who won’t trade his machine for any new gizmo in town. So, for those who have written that obituary on bullets, think again. The dependable bike that’s achieved a cult status might still survive after all.

Requiem to the Rickshaw

The World is on the fast track. And Muniswamy struggles to keep pace with it. Pedaling the cycle rickshaw in Triplicane and in between puffs of bidi, he speaks out, “Naanga Paava Patta Janmangal. Cars, buses and auto have almost pushed us off the roads”.

“Till the 1980s, we did good business sometimes plying 20 customers in a day. There was enough for the family,” he says recalling the happy days. Now he ekes out a living running errands for a few shopkeepers, until he gets a ‘good soul’ who wants to hire his rickety contraption.

What happened to all the rickshawallahs? Many turned to rag-picking some became coolies and others, thanks to the construction boom, found odd jobs at such sites. A significant number of them got crushed by the burden of debts and penury. The lucky few learnt to drive autos and few like Muniswamy still struggle for two square meals a day.

Even till the 1970s, hand-pulled rickshawa were all over town. Then a government move ensured better times and the cycle rickshaws rolled out. Alas, now they seem to be anachronistic. Today, they are found in very few places in Chennai including Triplicane, Parrys Corner, Waltax Road, Thiruvanmiyur. The odd ones if you’re lucky may be found close to the railway stations. Staying close to the vegetable and fish markets, their main business comes from the traders who ply their stuff from the godowns to market place. For short distances, the rickshaw is still a better option. Affordable compared to the autos, nil pollution and certainly more pleasant to deal with these people.

“I too learnt to drive an auto, but no one is willing to trust people like us. Since we don’t have a pucca place we live on the pavements, “Explains Muniswamy, clearly this world does not have a place for things and people that have served them well.
Well past its prime, the rickshaw may soon be consigned to history and our children may catch a glimpse of them in the Egmore Museum.

Chennai Live

Hello Chennaiites,

This is a meeting point for those who have fallen in love with namma Chennai.

If you're one of them, wherever you are, check this space out, everyday!

You won't regret the time spent.

yours truly

Raj