600020- Long live my Adyar

600020, the number that has been an integral part of my life for little over two decades now. Every letter, every greeting card, every post card, the ration card, my passport, my license, and even my bank account details bear this number. The pin code has not changed for the past two decades but Adyar has, from being just another locality in the outskirts of Chennai to the most sought after posh residency. Adyar has been my home for over two decades now.

Adyar composed of its various nagar's (Besant Nagar, Kasturibai Nagar, Baktavatsalam Nagar, Indira Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar and few others) was the cozy hub that connected you well to the Elliot’s beach on one side, to the shopping hub of T.Nagar in 15 minutes, to central railway station in a decent 25 minutes (provided there is no traffic) and to the airport in a fairly decent amount of time is located on the southern banks of the Adyar River. It is bounded by the Buckingham Canal to the west, Thiruvanmiyur to the south, and the Bay of Bengal to the east. Back in the late 70's and 80's Adyar was the only affordable and developing locality that a middle class could invest in. The coziness of the locality provided by its trees, the beach and theosophical society on one side and the yet to develop Thiruvanmiyur with Kalakshetra on the other was a good bet for many. It was the only place where one could comfortably afford 2-3 grounds of plot and built a decent enough independent house. T. Nagar and Poes Garden were still considered to be the poshest localities in the city owing to the celebrities and rich politicians who stayed there.

As I grew up, Adyar grew with me. I grew up in an Adyar where the only prominent landmarks on Sardar Patel road were Madhya Kailas, the cancer institute, IIT madras, Ambika Appalam Depot, Adyar Bakery and two famous hotels - Hotel Coronet and Hotel Runs. There was no Sangeetha, no Shree Krishna sweets, no Style one, or Odyssey- the book store. I vaguely remember Odyssey coming into existence when I was in class 3 or 4. Adyar was still a calm and cozy locality yet to be invaded by Branded showrooms. I felt it reflected the simple taste and needs of its residents. While I was in class 4 a chocolate doughnut in Adyar bakery cost Rs.4.50. Then the price rose to Rs 7 and today its Rs 12 or 15. It’s the bakery that sells the undoubtedly best doughnuts in entire Chennai. And the right time to eat a doughnut is just after its freshly baked and placed in the stands for sale. The fresh doughnuts are placed on the stands for sale when schools usually close, at about 3-30 or 4. Over the years, Adyar Bakery has changed a lot. There are new shops that sell chat and ice creams inside its premises now. The prices of the doughnuts have changed but the taste still remains the same.

I guess the first fully air conditioned departmental store that came to Adyar was Pushpa Shopee. It was located in the same place where the ICICI Bank (near the Aavin roundtana) today stands. This departmental store was the only luxury shop that Adyar had back then. Since the store attracted a few elite customers from the neighboring areas of Koturpuram and R.A Puram, there were fancy attractions like a homemade chocolates shop, a flower shop and a small outlet of the Hot breads bakery in the space near its entrance. The departmental store didn't do very well and hardly lasted for about 3-4 years. In the mid 90's the concept of shopping in trolleys and in an air conditioned shop still seemed too much of a luxury to the residents of Adyar. They preferred buying the household goods with the reliable shopkeeper at the corner of their street. It is a symbiotic relationship that every resident shares with the shopkeeper at the street corner. He cannot sustain business without them and they cannot do away without him at least during emergencies. And back then, residents were identified by the house names or the colour of their houses and not by names of apartments. That was the Adyar I lived in.

Adyar did not have a vegetable market. There were few small shops not more than about 150 sq in size, that sold only vegetables and the residents got their quota of veggies from these shops or a hawker who sold it to them on a daily basis. The nearest market was the Tani-Torai market in Mylapore. Even today Adyar does not have a separate vegetable market, which is why its been invaded by the Pazhamudhir Cholai's ( A store resembling a departmental store but sells only vegetables and fruits).They claim to sell the vegetables at the market price and pose a stiff competition to the hawkers and the other small timers. Adyar being the gateway to the IT highway has given room for many such shops. The IT professionals, mostly youngsters who are new to the city, living in rented homes or as paying guests, prefer buying their random dose of vegetables in these shops, than haggle with the hawkers or the small timers. They could walk right into the store and pick up what they want without even having to know the name of the vegetables or fruits in the local language. They don't mind paying extra since it saves them a lot of hassle.

Adyar has changed and its quite difficult to keep in pace with it. A new eatery, a new coffee shop, a clothes showroom, a hospital just springs up out of the blue. Every home or apartment has a new landmark each day. Today almost every street in Adyar has a unisex saloon or a spa. You'd go mad with the choices: Naturals, Green Trends, Kaya skin clinic, VLCC, Kanya, Anushka Saloon and the list goes on and on. As a kid, I remember there was a saloon named Topaz near Guhan studios on Sardar Patel road. It was the one and only famous saloon. “Haircut Rs30/- only” the board outside used to read. It was a small 250 sq ft shop with about four or five chairs. Being the only saloon in Adyar, the owner earned a huge fortune every Sunday. In order to keep pace with the spas and the unisex saloons the saloon has spruced up a little. It is now air conditioned and offers massages, facials and even spa treatments. Topaz today, has a faithful following of customers from old Adyar.

Adyar does not have Eros theatre anymore. There is a lancer showroom in its place. Hotel traffic Jam in Gandhi Nagar disappeared a few days back. Gandhi Nagar ladies club, where I learnt my first forehand in tennis ceases to exist. There are no more See- saws or Swings on the Elliot’s beach. The entire place is so congested with eating stalls that there is hardly any place where kids can run and play games like Kho Kho or Lock and Key. Gone are the days, where the only landmark in Besant Nagar was Maharaja Departmental stores and the Velankanni church. Thankfully Besant Nagar still retains its status of being the snug residential area unlike Gandhi Nagar, where half of the independent houses have been butchered into matchbox like apartments. Besant Nagar retains the calmness of interior Crescent Avenue in interior Gandhi Nagar. Crescent Avenue leads you to the banks of the Adyar river and St Patrick’s school. An early morning walk here would make you feel as if you are in Ooty or Kodai. The RBI quarters in Besant Nagar is a city by itself inside. The only place that keeps the colony spirit, which otherwise is alien to most apartments alive. The only places that have not changed in Gandhi Nagar, are famous Grand Sweets and Snacks and 100 year old school St Michaels. Grand Sweets is a shop that every NRI is familiar with. The only shop that sells the best savories and pickles in the whole of Chennai (Don’t convince me on any other shop. This is the best).

Today you don’t have to go to T. Nagar to buy yourself a Pattu Saree. You don’t have to go to Mount road or Richie Street to buy an electronic gadget. Adyar has it all, what you need and what you will need.

I wonder if Adyar would be called Adyar in a few years from now. But something that every name board, every shop and every Adyarite would carry is 600020. Its identity reduced to just a six digit number.