Bajaar bajaar, Pondy Bajaar !
Posted 15th June 2008 at 10:51 PM by Chitvish
Friends, for a South-Chennaite, nothing like Pondy Bazaar for shopping – can I use the word “bindaas shopping” (it is very often aimless shopping, but fashionably called window shopping) with your permission??!!
It is just this lovely place in Chennai, which, if you decide to visit once, you cannot resist going for the second time. The pavement shops offer you a wide range – unbelievable, but true. We will walk through the platform shops first.
Let me start auspiciously with the flower shops. You get all size garlands with seasonal flowers. The recent addition is, bouquets, with fresh as well as artificial flowers. They are so beautifully arranged that you will be tempted to buy minimum one bouquet and gift it to somebody, more for the pleasure of buying.
As you walk along, you will see that there is no platform ! There are only pavement shops !
You get “designer names” for duplicate designer ware like Nykee, Ribok and Adeedas. At cheap rates, that too!
Surprised at the reason for new names? Do not wonder why the spellings are messed up ! They have been changed according to numerology, that's all.
There are “accessories shops” selling bindis, hairbands, hairclips and the like in the widest range. Bindis hanging in colourful strips offer such visual pleasure. Though I have switched over to kumkum, I am tempted to buy a few strips every time, to give atleast as gifts.
Stickers in all shapes, sizes and designs abound there! One can get Kolam stickers in a very colourful, beautiful range. Besides for our houses, my family buys & sticks them on to their baggage, every time they travel abroad, so that it is easy to recognize the baggage when they are rolled out in the conveyor-belt, in the airport.
Inner garments and lingerie are very good and cheap as well. They last you faithfully for minimum one year – ofcourse, we are bored with them, by then.
The most fashionable handbags, travelware are all imitated in cheaper rexine, but equally eye catching as the original.
Plasticware available is so beautiful that for the pleasure of buying I go on changing my kitchen sets, giving away the old ones (still in good condition) to my maid, driver, watchman etc.
An extensive range of chappals tempt you strongly.
Now, let us walk inside just a few shops.
The most famous one for household items is Rathna Stores.There are two – lest we miss out. The bigger one has 4 floors and you get the entire range of kitchen items.
You name it – they have it. One can see the full range in all household electronic gadgets, corning ware, corelle ware not to forget stainless steel, plastics and brass and copper vessels. Thankfully their jewellery shop is situated a little further away.
In front of that shop, we get the best sapotas and pomegranates, in the whole city, from platform vendors. You cannot resist buying them.
On the opposite side is Naihaa (originally Naidu Hall). Their expansion into more sections is stupendous! The range of clothes, they stock is unparalleled!
How can anyone fail to mention Maya’s Plaza at the very end of the bazaar , more importantly the Hot Chips below it! It’s like entering the customs office of the Singapore/China airport and any thing that has the tag of being imported can be found there and you just cannot leave this one street of chennai empty handed!
After the shopping, just run into the famous good old Gita Café for coffee-tiffin, without which our shopping can never be complete.
There are times when one wonders if this speciality of Chennai will remain unaltered till eternity. But in vain. When you go to Pondy Bazaar today, you are forced to look at a new urban street that is bittersweet. The multi billion brands have started putting up their multi storied shops to give these poor road side nykees competition! Lest, one can never fail to miss out on the fun of shopping in Chennai’s Road side Gallis, Urbanized or not!
Love,
Chithra.
It is just this lovely place in Chennai, which, if you decide to visit once, you cannot resist going for the second time. The pavement shops offer you a wide range – unbelievable, but true. We will walk through the platform shops first.
Let me start auspiciously with the flower shops. You get all size garlands with seasonal flowers. The recent addition is, bouquets, with fresh as well as artificial flowers. They are so beautifully arranged that you will be tempted to buy minimum one bouquet and gift it to somebody, more for the pleasure of buying.
As you walk along, you will see that there is no platform ! There are only pavement shops !
You get “designer names” for duplicate designer ware like Nykee, Ribok and Adeedas. At cheap rates, that too!
Surprised at the reason for new names? Do not wonder why the spellings are messed up ! They have been changed according to numerology, that's all.
There are “accessories shops” selling bindis, hairbands, hairclips and the like in the widest range. Bindis hanging in colourful strips offer such visual pleasure. Though I have switched over to kumkum, I am tempted to buy a few strips every time, to give atleast as gifts.
Stickers in all shapes, sizes and designs abound there! One can get Kolam stickers in a very colourful, beautiful range. Besides for our houses, my family buys & sticks them on to their baggage, every time they travel abroad, so that it is easy to recognize the baggage when they are rolled out in the conveyor-belt, in the airport.
Inner garments and lingerie are very good and cheap as well. They last you faithfully for minimum one year – ofcourse, we are bored with them, by then.
The most fashionable handbags, travelware are all imitated in cheaper rexine, but equally eye catching as the original.
Plasticware available is so beautiful that for the pleasure of buying I go on changing my kitchen sets, giving away the old ones (still in good condition) to my maid, driver, watchman etc.
An extensive range of chappals tempt you strongly.
Now, let us walk inside just a few shops.
The most famous one for household items is Rathna Stores.There are two – lest we miss out. The bigger one has 4 floors and you get the entire range of kitchen items.
You name it – they have it. One can see the full range in all household electronic gadgets, corning ware, corelle ware not to forget stainless steel, plastics and brass and copper vessels. Thankfully their jewellery shop is situated a little further away.
In front of that shop, we get the best sapotas and pomegranates, in the whole city, from platform vendors. You cannot resist buying them.
On the opposite side is Naihaa (originally Naidu Hall). Their expansion into more sections is stupendous! The range of clothes, they stock is unparalleled!
How can anyone fail to mention Maya’s Plaza at the very end of the bazaar , more importantly the Hot Chips below it! It’s like entering the customs office of the Singapore/China airport and any thing that has the tag of being imported can be found there and you just cannot leave this one street of chennai empty handed!
After the shopping, just run into the famous good old Gita Café for coffee-tiffin, without which our shopping can never be complete.
There are times when one wonders if this speciality of Chennai will remain unaltered till eternity. But in vain. When you go to Pondy Bazaar today, you are forced to look at a new urban street that is bittersweet. The multi billion brands have started putting up their multi storied shops to give these poor road side nykees competition! Lest, one can never fail to miss out on the fun of shopping in Chennai’s Road side Gallis, Urbanized or not!
Love,
Chithra.
Total Comments 29
Comments
 |  Dear Chithra Pondy bazaar will be etched in all our memories. The innumerable times that I have gone shopping there. And the thing I like the most is my haggling with vendors.. and all the earrings and bangles and so many many other things.. you have as always written so well! |
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| | Dear Chithra, Let me have the privilege of writing the first FB here! What a nostalgic reminder of the times gone by! Ah, your description about Pondy bazaar reminded me of those golden days of shopping in India. I could clearly see the colorful bindis, the fancy chappals and of course, the eating at the favorite old restaurant. Here, shopping is not as much fun. Or well, it is a different kind of fun. I prefer the fun that you have described over the one here. Your blog reminded me of my shopping sprees in my native Mumbai. The favorite ones were Linking Rd (eating Icecream at a joint whose name I no longer remember  ), shopping at Fashion St (and eating fast food at Khaau Galli), shopping at Chembur station (eating at Saroj or Gurukripa - GK for short).Oh, I long for those simple pleasures in life. Shopping in today's hi-fi shopping complexes can never give me the same kind of pleasure. SS |
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| | ACCCCCCCCCCCCCCC! You beat me to it once again!  I thought mine was going to be the first FB. SS |
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| | SS I know you dont mind it:) Actually after a long time I have some free time now.. so got to write a blog and happened to see this as well.. What else to say .. cant ask you to read my blog.. that might seem as more punishment hahaha! |
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| |  Dear Mami, You make us miss Chennai a lot! Why do you always do this once it is Mylapore, now it is Pondy Bazaar.............. hope next is on T Nagar (Ranganathan Street). I am adding so much to my Chennai Shopping List that Banks have to start giving loans for that so that we can shop unmindful of the purse. Another thing I need a MM with me to help me around, Hope I can depend on you when I am there. My list will include earrings, bangles,fancy sandals and all that looks good. I know my kids will have a nice time there. |
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| |  Mami, I miss those wonderful trips to T. Nagar....Just window shopping there will take hours and I will still feel that I haven't had enough..I usually have my sister or SIL for company.....the endless icecreams that I have have on the way....love the furry dolls arranged on the parked cars....and all the tiny keychains and hair accessories hanging in almost all the shops...list is endless... During the festival season....we need not walk...will be pushed further step-by-step by the streaming crowd..... Its really a joy to go there...will never returned empty hand....but maybe yes..empty purse  ..Thanks for bringing back those days....waiting for my next trip....will take you along.. bye |
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| |  Dear Chithu, My fav shopping spot Pondy Bazaar seems the favourite of many here. I love to go there when I get the time to shop at Saravannas the one in Pangal Park.Just lose track of time there whenever I go. The road side vendors selling wares esp. the ones those sell imitation jewellery, bindis and stuff are my kinda place to shop and bargain. Loved ur write up |
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| |  Dear AC, one trip to Pondy Bazaar,first you learn how to "squeeze" your way through the gap between platform shops on both sides, increasing more & more, day by day! I compare it to life, when we have to wade through, in our own way, inspite of being surmouted by alround pressure from all directions! Thanks for coming back to my blog this time. Love, Chithra. |
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| | SS, first or not, I wait, rather look forwardto your FBs, because I love your style of writing! I did shop in Linking Road when I went to Bombay - but the language hurdle stood huge in front of me! I have passed all exams in hindi - but to my dismay, I realised, colloquial hindi is a class of its own! Shopping in Lifestyle or Globus is less exciting that Pondy Bazaar or China Bazaar for me. For the former, we take credit cards & swipe fashionably & mercilessly. But for the latter, we bargain no end & feel victorious by saving perhaps 5 Rs out of every 100 Rs we spend!! Love, Chithra. |
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| | Don't woory, Lali, MM is ever-ready tooffer her services as person ready to shop with you! No Ranganathan Street for me - who will go to Usman Road crowd? Suppose I enter into one of the New Jewellery Mahals? I will be lost!! Bring a heavy purse with loans from as many banks as possible - I will come with a list, with you, because your purse is anyway going to be heavy. Look forward to shopping with you! Love, Chithra. |
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| | idhu idhudhan Mylapore mami nu solaradhu ...... pesi jaikka mudiyumma sorry ezudhi jaikka mudiyuma ungakita Quote:
Bring a heavy purse with loans from as many banks as possible - I will come with a list, with you, because your purse is anyway going to be heavy. Look forward to shopping with you |
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| | Yes, Saras, we, ILites will go on aconducted tour-like to Pondy Bazaar. I love just Rathna stores as much as I like the entire Pondy Bazaar.The range, they offer, is increasing multifold almost once in 6 months. Next trip, find time to spend a day with me. I will punish you with my lunch & take you to P B !  Love, Chithra. |
| Updated 16th June 2008 at 05:42 AM by Chitvish |
| | Dear Janani, long time, no see!I thought you lost your way somewhere!!:  Hope all is well with home & work!! At my age, I dare not step into saravana - the josting totally disorients me. Walking on the rickety platform of PB is tough enough at my age! Any "confirmed" Chennaite is bound to be attracted by PB - you are one, I know, Janani Thanks for stepping in. Love, Chithra. |
| Updated 16th June 2008 at 05:50 AM by Chitvish |
| | Lali, don't think thatVR wrote about the "glory" of MMs for nothing!! Mylaopre Mamiya, Kokka!!  Love, Chithra. |
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| | Dear Chithra.. You have made me feel more nostalgic on a Monday. I was trying really hard to beat nostalgia, which caught up with me this weekend, when I was watching 'Malgudi Days' and remembered my native village in Thanjavur district and my grandparents who live there. I started crying and my husband had to console me for a very long time. I was in no mood to come to office today, but somehow dragged myself. And here you are, with yet another lovely post that makes me miss India soooo much. Nothing can beat the liveliness and colours that the little shops in our country have to offer. I am also too fond of window shopping and silly shopping and 'retail therapy' works for me when I am in the sombrest of moods :) There is a word in English called 'oniomania' which is obsessive shopping tendencies :D I am sure a place like Pondy Bazaar will trigger the oniomaniacs in us and lighten our husbands' wallets...hehehehe.. Still severly nostalgically yours :(( Thanks and Love Pavithra |
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| |  Chithu, aahhhhhh one more blog to rekindle my nostalgia...Seriously after wedding and living in southern suburb, i miss PB soooo much,and if at all i make a trip, R has no patience for i get mesmerised with every shop and he gets irritated no end- ending up in a fight.How i miss the days, me and my cousins for no reason throng PB on alternative weekends and buy all junk there!!Ratna stores - perfect shopping place for me and my appa, we escape all possible sunday's to fish out things, have an evening snack at balaji bhavan and wade our way through the crowd to reach the bus stop...too much of memories rushing in chithu Nice blog...MM ya kokka - i agree 200% |
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| |  ShoppingDear Chithra ma'am, shopping in PB is indeed an art.I am very bad at bargaining in the road side shops..and end up paying more..Fashion and ladies dream in a nutshell is PB.. |
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| | Today has been my day. I hail from Mambalam and Pondy Bazaar is so nostalgic to me. I love walking in that street. Even if it connected Mambalam with Central, I would walk thru the street just for the pleasure of seeing everything out on sale. I think this is more of a "sophisticated" Renganathan Street. I love "negotiating" (bargaining is not something I like using) with the vendors too. All my pyjamas, night-dresses, kurtis et al are always from these shops mostly. Not to forget the numerous sticker bindis I keep collecting everytime I go there, you are right it is too tempting to buy that I don't think if I need it at all. Have you seen the flowers right next to Naidu Hall. They always manage to get the best "malli" sarams even if it were off-season. If you miss this one, there is one next to GRT on Usman Road. I love Chennai for Mambalam that everyone including my husband make fun of me saying that it is my Swiss. Well it is ! Can't wait for my next vacation, I didn't know that Naidu Hall changed its name. |
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| | Pavi, what I crudely called bindaas shoppingyou refer to as silly shopping.Though it is a joke against women, a shopping binge does lift us up from a depressive mood - the sheer variety of articles in the shops, lifts our moods, perhaps! The word 'oniomania' is new to me - you are too good with language, Pavi. I enjoy reading your FBs. Love, Chithra. |
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| | So, the credit goes to....MM & not CV ! No problem - I am both. Now, Aish, let me tell you something. It is almost "suicidal" to go window or bindaas shopping with husband. They have no patience at all & we return home with a big fight!! The best is to go with friends, cousins etc. Come to M'pore - we will go PB shopping on any one of your holidays!! Love, Chithra. |
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