A walk down to Ranganathan Street in Chennai to explore everything it has to offer!

Developed during the 1930s, Ranganathan Street in Chennai is one of the major attractions of the city that caters to middle-class families with a variety of endless commodities.

Although Chennai is a crowded city amidst sceneries, the actual crowd is visible through Ranganathan Street, a paradise for shoppers. Sometimes, as the visuals say, one does not even need to walk but they get pushed for it due to the crowd behind. But why do people overfill the place? It has to be the extremely lower prices of the end number of articles that one does not get in any other market in the city. Ranganathan Street in Chennai is preferable than the popular Pondy Bazar for it selling not just fancy items but everything in one market.

Located at the Thyagaraya Nagar, also called T. Nagar, this market was a subsequent result of the development of T. Nagar. It is believed that it was the first planned town in Chennai in 1923. It was initiated by the Madras Presidency Government and at that time, the area was developed with housing areas, parks, hospitals, schools, temples and shops.

Within, there was Rangathanan Street which used to be a residential area with just three shops, that continue to exist to date. The name of the place was first kept after the first residents of the area as it used to be a practice back then. Many other areas were also named after the officials who would live there. Following the ritual, the street was first named - 'Rangaswamy Iyenggar' but later got changed and it got named after Lord Ranganatha of Srirangam according to the wishes of the residents.

A few reports mention plenty of buses on the street which is now a forgotten dream for this place. Due to the congestion, no vehicular movement is possible on the current date. The whole market is full of large and big shopping centres that house many small retail shops serving various consumer needs. It is believed that the turnover of the market is even more than the popular markets of cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

The market has one end, Usman Road, and the other, Mambalam train station. One of the reasons for the crowd here is also the station as many people are seen in a hurry to reach there. Nevertheless, various lanes and pavements are full of hawkers and vendors in between the stretch. One can come across colourful saris and dress materials in Chennai silk which is famous here.

Other than clothes, the products on display range from dishes, mobile phones, shoes, and kinds of household articles. One section of the market can also be seen selling fruits and vegetables, so the fresh smell of green is a common expectation here. Apart from the big shopping centres, the small retail outlets tucked in between also make good profits throughout the day.

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One of the major attractions here is the end number of jewellery ranging from gold and silver to artificial ones. Perhaps, this could be the reason why the market is even hard to enter during the festivities like Deepavali, when most residents flock here to buy jewellery. Moreover, even during the wedding seasons, you can see this market full of people for the same reason.

Adding to these things are electronic items, cycles, suitcases, TV sets and more. Talking about convenience, you can buy clothes and need not worry about the stitching as there are many shops around that can get your clothes stitched in a short while. Other small shops also display a variety of bags and wallets.

If you wonder where you get the smell of fragrance in the market, it could be because of the flower vendors that sell many beautiful and exotic flowers here to appeal to the customers. You might love to stroll around them and take one for your close ones and yourself.

Another source of the smell could be the mouthwatering food prepared here at different food stalls selling chat, ice cream and other items. While shopping, you might get your hands on these lip-smacking dishes. Although the place does not guarantee much hygiene, you can depend on the packed food if you are conscious of it.

With the crowd coming to a halt at night, the market observes cleaning in the wee hours before the shops start dealing with customers again. The dealing is yet another source of entertainment here, as the bargaining knows no limits. And it is advised to negotiate the price with the vendors and shopkeepers. So, if you have not taken the key points from the virtual visit to the market, let us tell you to remember two things while going here - the crowd is unavoidable and bargaining is a must!

Also Read: Here’s why shoppers love to visit the crowded Pondy Bazaar in Chennai!

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