176-year-old Pallavaram Friday market still bustling

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The jostling crowd, the yelling hawkers and the bustle of traffic behind does not dampen the spirit of the nearly 176-year-old Friday market at Pallavaram here.

From spices and condiments to pets to cheap electronic goods and key chains, plants to kitchenware – everything is available for a price.

“I manage to earn Rs 200 or Rs 300 per week at this sandai and I don’t regard this as a huge profit,” says Mr Velu from Red Hills, who sells pigeons. He is among the 30 traders who sell pigeons, parakeets and birds. The sandai thrives despite the onslaught of supermarkets.

“It is a boon for those who do not want to spend too much or who are looking for cheap goods. We can get almost anything, from eatables to household utensils, ornamental and flowering plants and antiques,” says Mr Johnson, a regular visitor to the market.

Like Mr Velu, most traders purchase their commodities from weekly or monthly markets and put up their makeshift tents\shops at the Old Trunk Road in Pallavaram – the venue of the Friday shandy.

“Most of us are small-time vendors and have our shops elsewhere. We earn marginal revenues at this market,” says Mr Babu, who sells spices and condiments.

Electronic goods are cheap here but one should not look for a guarantee. “We can’t expect ISI marks or MRPs. But it’s still worth buying here,” says Ganesh.