The three Mada Streets of Mylapore now reflect the mood and buzz of the Navaratri festival. In the evenings.
Temples are well illuminated and decorated, they get a steady stream of visitors who somehow manage the chaotic peak hour traffic, made worse by the diversions for Chennai Metro work, and in some temple halls and elsewhere, music of the kutcheris floats around.
In the traffic flow are women and teens on mo-bikes, kolu hopping obviously, their finery standing out on a humid day when it rained. Seniors who do the hopping are seen walking measuredly, with vethalai-pakku packs in their hands.
Beyond the Saibaba Temple in Venkatesa Agraharam, a large TV screen on the pavement beamed a chant session by women inside Sri Kapaleeswarar Karpagambal hall. It was about 5.30 pm and a few women stepped in while the home-going office-goers got into MTC buses that now stop here.
The facade of Sri Veleeswarar Temple on South Mada Street looked serene, with the illumination and the music heightening the atmosphere as the roar of traffic continued here.
On the pavements, hawkers worked up bags of pori and coconuts and others hung thoranams for sales for Ayudha Puja.
The Mambalam Sisters were in concert at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. A woman, with her mom behind her, asked where the kolu featuring images of the Kanchi periyaval was located; she had to be told that they must have seen an old social media post on it.
Down East Mada Street end, the kolu dolls stalls were mostly deserted.
- Top photo is of Angala Parmeswari at the temple on Mundagakanni Amman Temple; Photo: Bhanu
