Journalism of Courage
The road running parallel to the Grand South Trunk Road in Chennai near the airport starts buzzing in the wee hours every Friday as hundreds of vendors and workers flock to the area to set up their makeshift shops, which attract thousands of visitors.
For vendors, the Friday market, popularly known as ‘Pallavaram Sandhai’, becomes their home for the day as they reach the area as early as 4 am and stay on till about 11:00 pm.
Although there is hardly any official record on the origin of the Sandhai, which is maintained by Pallavaram Cantonment, it is believed to have been in existence for over 100 years.
According to social activist and long-time resident of Pallavaram, V Santhanam, the market that earlier existed close to the Pammal area was moved to the current space about a decade ago owing to the construction of a flyover, among other factors.
“The market was initially known as Maatu Sandhai (a place to sell cattle). Farmers from nearby towns and districts used to gather here on Fridays to sell their cattle. This happened even in the late 1970s. I bought a cow from here for Rs 70. Later, after the Moore Market closed down, people began to shift towards this area and started selling all kinds of items. Yes, you can buy anything here except your parents,” quips Santhanam.
As pointed out by Santhanam, many of the things or practices dating back to the time when the city was known as Madras have slowly vanished but the Sandhai continues to thrive in this age of modernisation despite facing the threat of closure on several previous occasions.
The claim that “this market sells everything under the sun” might sound clichéd but it is truly applicable to the Sandhai. Despite the massive boom of modern-day facilities like online shopping and supermarkets, the Sandhai still attracts huge crowds every week, encouraging vendors from the suburbs, neighbouring towns, and even districts to try their luck by setting up a shop here. The Sandhai, it is said, gives the public the feel of a ‘Thiruvizha’ (festive vibe).
The non-native vendors and the members of the Narikuravar community occupy a significant space in this sprawling Sandhai. Although they may find it difficult to converse in fluent Tamil, many were seen describing their products in a detailed manner to their prospective customers.
With a police officer keeping a close watch on the crowd from the tower, the rest of the police have been deployed to regulate traffic and also to ensure that no untoward incidents take place.
Commotion often breaks out in the bike-parking area as hundreds of two-wheelers are placed next to each other and the cops have to intervene to pacify the angry public. One needs to pay Rs 10 to park their vehicle in the area.
The Friday market, spread over almost two kilometres, has vegetable and fruit shops near the entrance. And as one moves ahead, one can see an array of shops on both sides of the road selling clothing, furniture, electronic equipment, household items, cycles, pets, exotic birds, food spices, sports equipment, perfumes, antiques, automobile spare parts, and many other things.
From a shop that sells an item for Rs 10 to a furniture store that sells sofas and almirahs priced at Rs 50,000, the shops have something or the other for all types of customers. The vendors claim that some of the items that elsewhere cost Rs 1 lakh, can be purchased here for Rs 11,000-Rs 12,000 and still they would be of top quality.
One Anand Kumar can be seen trying to grab the attention of customers by announcing on a public address system the price of each plastic item available in his shop, while another seller is screaming his lungs out explaining the benefits of some oil that he claims can cure muscular pain.
Several men selling fighting roosters can also be seen taking up their spots under tree branches. The price of a fighting rooster ranges from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500.
A shopkeeper selling jeans, shirts, and t-shirts for Rs 100 apiece, says they buy unsold items from city showrooms at cheaper rates and then sell them at the Sandhai.
The shopkeepers add that people who shift to other cities or abroad, often leave behind items that they think won’t be required anymore, and those things are bought by them for a cheaper price or even for free on some occasions.
There is Samidurai’s antique shop that sells coins that are claimed to have been used several centuries ago and also there are other antique notes and statues. (Express Photo)Towards the end of the Sandhai, there is an antique shop by one Samidurai that sells centuries-old coins and statues.
Samidurai says he has been collecting coins from a very young age and is still passionate about it.
Samidurai, who also has an antique shop at Vadapalani, has been visiting the Sandhai every Friday. He says it was hard for him to find unique antiques in the beginning but now he has developed a network and many people visit him to sell antique items.
Through a public address system that describes the prices of each of the plastic items available in the shop, Anand Kumar is busy grabbing the attention of the customers. (Express Photo)R Radhakrishnan, 64, who hails from a tiny village in Ramanathapuram, says he started frequenting the Sandhai post the pandemic for survival. Radhakrishnan ran a small store back in his hometown but as it didn’t generate much profit, he shifted his base to Chennai. He stays on rent near Guduvanchery and reaches the Sandhai every Friday.
Besides him, there is Pachaiyammal, 60, who runs a fruit shop. Pachaiyammal says that after her husband left her around 18 years ago, there was no one to take care of her and she started selling fruits to survive.
Pachaiyammal says that stringent regulations at the Koyambedu Wholesale Market forced her to set up a shop here. She claims that shopkeepers have to pay an amount every day to whoever has the tender for the market.
“The price depends on the shop’s size and sale. For small shops like us, the rate is much less. But no matter whether your items are sold or not, you need to pay the price. Otherwise, you won’t be allowed to sell items here. I reside at Red Hills and I pick up my goods from the Koyambedu market at 4 am and reach here. I have been doing this for several years. Yes, it is difficult but what else can we do?” she asks.
Like Pachaiyammal, many sellers commute from the farthest corner of the city to Pallavaram to make a living. They put up their shops here on Fridays and head to other markets in the city on other days.
