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'Colors and The Cultures' – Exploring the shopping streets of Central Chennai


     The air is filled with sounds of varied decibels, making the humid wind more dense. With the density of humidity we sense the proximity to the sea and with the density of multilingual sounds, we sense the proximity to one of Chennai’s most happening places-Parrys corner. Located in central Chennai, it is home to varied races, cultures, languages and history. The Indo-Saracenic facades of the buildings are living reminders of the beginning of time when the Majestic Madarasapattinam started welcoming cultural intrusions, not to take over the existing ones, but for co-living in peace.

     Over time, many cultures have found their home in the Central Business District (CBD) of Chennai opening the doors to exploring a varied range of food, clothing and events. Number of narrow streets named after contrastingly different sects of people, right from the West of India to the southern end, reflect the mixture of settlements. Each street is unique with its inherent style & variety of goods.

     As we walk through the streets from the famous ‘Pookadai Police Station’ node, one could get hold of all daily needs such as Fruits, vegetables etc. along the main road making it reachable for the busy passerby population. The rest who reach the place in search of specifics could get a glimpse of the entire linear street’s nature right from the main road lane. Busy students find their ways through the stationery points of  Bunder street while the patient shopaholics enjoy treading all the way from Godown street to the interior lanes of Mint street.

      Sowcarpet, the ultimate destination for the modern ‘Chennaite’, could thoroughly satisfy the foodie and shopaholic parts of a female’s heart. The potpourri of colours and patterns could literally bewitch the eyes. While the eyes run though all the possible visuals, the mind does its own financial calculations. The bright side is, one can find all possible ranges and trends within those streets. Be it the traditional handworks for the festive look or the Luxurious lehengas for the Bridal one, every single pattern is liberally distributed along the display in the glass storefronts.


     After the hot Chennai sun drains the energy out of us, we can anytime rely on the roadside kiosks for an energy recharge. Beverages could help for a quick boost while the panipuris or the famous ‘murukku sandwich’ with its delicious green chutney loaded with cheese could give a treat for the tastebuds, enhance the mood and make oneself all set to browse more. One could also catch a colorful rickshaw to browse around and save the energy.

     While browsing, get ready to move through the crowd, manage multilingual slangs and get a glimpse of every little shop possible. Don't be startled to come across your favourite Youtubers doing their Vlogs along the streets. Also, overcome the claustrophobia & get into even the tiniest of the streets to reach out to the famous boutique shops humbly nestled in the narrow streets such as Chinna Naicken street.

     The comfy & enclosed interiors diverts the mind from realising the setting sun. As twilight hits, the streets light up to meet the undying energy in people movement. The light stays on all along to compete with the moonlight.


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