Chennai Daily Photo

Pushing a Bus

2007-07-06T16:49:00.000+05:30

Ever seen people trying to push a bus to get it to start, right in the middle of the road? I’m guessing not! I was driving past the Santhome Cathedral Basilica and was wondering what all the traffic was about. As I turned to my left, I noticed the bus. It had broken down and the passengers and the conductor were pushing it so they could restart it and get moving so they can reach their homes on time. I saw the same scene a few hours late near Ega Theater again.

The METROPOLITAN TRANSPORT CORPORATION (CHENNAI) LTD, we refer to it as the MTC, though is know as one of the best services in India. With round the clock service, 26 Bus Depots, a fleet of 2845 busses, 551 routes and employee strength of 18,000 people it covers an area of 1166 square kilometers around Chennai City. It serves an average of 4 million people everyday, but the collection are just Rs.12.2 Million (USD 297,560), which works out to a paltry sum of 7.5 United States Cents per passenger. Fares are calculated based on stages, with each stage being approximately 2 kilometers, for one stage the fare is Rs.2 (4.8 cents) and for 23 stages the fare is just Rs.7 (17 cents). A small little fact that not many people know, all MTC busses have the registration code of TN-01-N-xxxx. The service, though very poor now, is constantly improving with services going up and fares too!

Is he the son ?

2007-07-05T17:14:00.000+05:30

This boy, I presume, is the son of the lady in yesterday’s picture. The boy came up to me after his mother had, and stretched his hand out. I rolled down the window this time and asked him why he was begging, first in Tamil and then in Hindi. He didn’t open his mouth. I asked him if I could take a picture of his, he didn’t reply to that either. I then clicked this picture and he then put his hand out again, and I paid him ten rupees for it. I wanted to tell him that he should go to school and become smart, and that the ten rupees were not alms but just fees for modeling, just like the people in the hoarding behind him and maybe he would someday be a big film star. Just words of encouragement. But alas, he wouldn’t listen; the moment money exchanged hands he walked away towards the next car, leaving me think about the things that I wanted to tell him.

I am saying that that ladies son, but I couldn’t be sure about it at all. Beggars here generally don’t have any family. They just tag along together to earn pity. Father and daughter, mother and son. Man with old crumbled parents. More time than not, its all just a set up. They can change their families and blood relatives just for the sake of a few rupees, but if what I hear is true, it’s just not a few rupees. Begging is a multi million dollar industry.

A beggar and her son

2007-07-04T16:15:00.000+05:30

Begging for alms, I presume, is the world’s oldest profession. I was driving from Egmore to Kilpauk via Ega Bridge, and while I was on the bridge waiting for the signal to turn green, I noticed this lady. She walked towards my car and asked for alms. I’m a little soft inside so I thought id give her a rupee or two. But my friend, who was sitting beside me started lecturing me on how I shouldn’t be encouraging these sort of people. I only had time to click a picture, and by the time I rolled down my glasses, the lady had moved on to the car behind mine.

Begging here in Chennai is like a disease. So many people do it. Some do it genuinely because they are incapable of doing anything else. Some people do it to specify a particular need; some lost travelers do it because they have been robbed or have lost their belonging and just need enough money to buy a ticket back home. Some do it, just because their parents did. Some are even forced to do it by the begging mafia i.e. their hands and legs are cut of and they are put on the street to beg. In a society like ours, people generally give to beggars so they will be rewarded in the hereafter and not out of pity for the beggars and their living standards. It’s quite common to see one person from a group giving a beggar alms, even when another from the same group has refused and tried chasing the beggar away. This is due to the fear of being cursed. Tomorrow I will show you a picture of this ladies son; or at least I think he is.

Special Meetha Paan!

2007-07-03T19:19:00.000+05:30

Paan is an ethnic North Indian chew; usually consumed at the end of meals because it helps in digestion and also acts as a mouth freshener. Paan is available in nearly every street corner in India, but more so in Chennai because of the huge north Indian population here consisting of Kutchi Memons, Marwaris, Jains, Bohras etc. Paan is also served during important functions like weddings, receptions and other ceremonies. The history of Paan can’t be traced but I read somewhere that it was popularized by King Shahjehan’s (of Taj Mahal fame) mother; Queen Noorjehan.
Paan is generally of two types; Sadha (Ordinary)and Meetha. (Sweet) The person at the Paan shop generally asks the customer what he would like in the paan. Tastes differ from person to person; but generally its betel leaf that’s washed and dried and then inside there is masala; spices like cardamom, saffron, anise and katha, small fruits, coconut, lime paste and small candy. Sometimes, the paan is wrapped inside delicate silver leaf.
The Sadha version will have betel nuts and tobacco as well. Keep in mind; both betel nuts and tobacco are carcinogens. I generally prefer the Meetha paan. Paan is nearly always made for immediate consumption, but sometimes, like the paan in the picture, it can be frozen.
If you are in Chennai sometime and want to try out a Paan, I would recommend you go to the paan place Hotel Blue Diamond or the one on Nungambakam High Road after the haddows road turning. If you can’t find it, you can always call me and I’ll be happy to buy you a paan! Do you get paan in your city? I would like to know.

Fruitshop on Greams Road

2007-07-02T13:39:00.000+05:30

The Fruitshop on Greams Road is something that most of us people from Chennai are in love with. A juice shop that sells only fresh, unadulterated juices and also has a drive in facility is certainly a unique concept, at least in India. The prices are a tad bit over the top, but it’s defiantly worth it because the quality is assured. I generally have a pineapple juice without ice for my dinner! I also like the Jughead Special, which is an ice-cream based drink and the Sheik Shake which is a date milkshake. The Fruit Shop on Greams Road gets its name from its first branch that was located on Greams Road, but now they have plenty of branches; Greams Road, Harleys Road Kilpauk, Besant Nagar, Spencer Plaza, Nungambakam, Meenambakam and East Cost Road are the ones that I am aware of and have visited. But the one I frequent is the one on Harleys Road mainly because the location is convenient and the service is extraordinary. Hats off to the boys there. Another added advantage is the fact that my hairdresser is on the floor above it and I like to have a nice head massage along with a Lemon Mint Cooler, generally referred to as the LMC! I hear they are opening a branch in Dubai sometime this month, maybe Chuckeroon or DBluey from the Dubai Daily Photo could get us a picture of the Fruit Shop on Greams Road in Dubai?

July Theme Day : The Color Red

2007-07-01T14:57:00.000+05:30

This is my first theme day, and in fact my first picture after restarting Chennai Daily Photo. The red light at a traffic signal is something common all over the world, but what’s unique, I think, about Chennai and other places in India, is that you have traffic lights but you also have cops standing around to make sure that the lights are obeyed. Problem is, a few people here generally don’t respect traffic lights mostly because it’s easy to get away because there are no cameras to record it and get them another day. I was told by a friend in the know though, that cameras are on the way. There are other cities participating in today’s theme day as well, here they are.

Shanghai, China - Mumbai, India - New York City (NY), USA - Manila, Philippines - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Hamburg, Germany - Stayton (OR), USA - Los Angeles (CA), USA - Hyde, UK - Oslo, Norway - Brookville (OH), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Stavanger, Norway - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Joplin (MO), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Selma (AL), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Chandler (AZ), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Seattle (WA), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Arradon, France - Evry, France - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Boston (MA), USA - Grenoble, France - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Hilo (HI), USA - Nelson, New Zealand - La Antigua, Guatemala - Brisbane (QLD), Australia - Singapore, Singapore - Tel Aviv, Israel - Hong Kong, China - Sequim (WA), USA - Paderborn, Germany - Saarbrücken, Germany Rotterdam, Netherlands - Tenerife, Spain - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Sydney, Australia - Naples (FL), USA - Cologne (NRW), Germany - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Mainz, Germany - Toruń, Poland - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Singapore, Singapore - North Bay (ON), Canada - Jakarta, Indonesia - Montréal (QC), Canada - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Baziège, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - New York (NY), USA - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Sharon (CT), USA - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Nottingham, UK - Villigen, Switzerland - Chicago (IL), USA - Torquay, UK - Brussels, Belgium - San Diego (CA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Paris, France - Seoul, Korea - Manila, Philippines - Milano, Italy - Austin (TX), USA - Chennai, India - Madrid, Spain - Seoul, South Korea - Wailea (HI), USA - Toronto (ON), Canada - Ajaccio, France - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Zurich, Switzerland - Sydney, Australia - Budapest, Hungary - Moscow, Russia - Auckland, New Zealand - Torino, Italy

Restarting

2007-07-01T00:42:00.000+05:30

This is a sincere apology to everyone around the world who kept coming back to my site to check my work, but I couldn’t be around to post pictures. I had a few personal problems, but they are all sorted now and I’m back for good and plan to do a really good job at it. If you have any requests or if you have a photograph of madras city that you want me to publish on this site (with credit to you) or if you want to contact me for any other reason, you could do so by emailing me at admin@chennaidailyphoto.com

Monday Madness

2006-04-24T16:48:00.000+05:30

Driving in the city on a monday evening is one of the most hectic things to do. After the relaxed weekend off, all that people can think about is getting home to thier couches where they can lie down and watch some television! The city is getting brighter as well , the old painted hoardings replaces with multi-colour vinyl ones and they are brightly lit as well. It does cause a distraction while driving, but I'm not going to complain about it !

Chennai Central

2006-04-16T23:41:00.000+05:30

Chennai Central : the main hub for the Chennai suburban railway trains and trains to other parts of India. One of the buisiest Railway Stations in India, and probably Asia. A train comes and leaves every ten minutes from here. I was at the station to pick up an aunt of mine, and took this picture wile waiting for the train. I got into trouble with the crowd when I took out my phone to click a picture, so had to do it discretly. Everything moves so fast around here, that you could just get lost looking at thigns moving.

Police Station

2006-04-15T12:31:00.000+05:30

The Tamil Nadu goverment under Dr.J.Jayalalithaa aka Amma , has done a lot for the Tamil Nadu Police, to keep them under control and to keep them happy. Housing Quaters, Extra Pay, More pension and new, better equiped work places. This is the Egmore F2 Police Station, this place was a shack about six months ago, but now its a complete building with the best facilities inside it. I'm not sure about this, but I've heard theres a fully equiped gym inside! Now thats a change for the better, especially since the Cops have a reputaion for having Big Mustaches and Bigger Belly's !

Artificial Coolness

2006-04-14T18:58:00.000+05:30

Chennai is going through a very hot summer, though thinking about it, summer has not even properly started, I wonder what it will be like right in the middle of may! Normaly during summer, there are massive power cuts, and frequent as well. Its warm so people tend to use thier air conditioning longer, meaning more consumption of electricity, the summer and the sun lead to evaporation of the water bodies, slowing down production of hydro electricity, thus lower supply, meaning more power cuts. A viciosu circle that keeps going on and on, and only God, not even the Goverment , knows when this will all come to and end.

Newspapers

2006-04-13T22:49:00.000+05:30

Chennai has always been a very literate and well informed city, the Head Quaters for India's most famous daily, The Hindu, whihc is also the paper that I read everyday, but of late, there have been a lot of new papers that have hit the stands! Its got to a point where you just cant read all the papers and all those different opinions. Personnaly, I've stoped counting how many new papers hit the stands!

Rubbish

2006-04-12T15:21:00.000+05:30

Chennai is getting cleaner by the day, the roads, the streets, the corners of walls in public buildings, but the mentality of people just doesnt change. People throw junk anywhere they wants to , though the authorities are doing a good job of cleaning it up. People spit, attend calls of nature, dump plastic and a lot of other stuff anywhere they feel like, and its not an offence as well. I hope one day all this will change, and I really hope that it will be soon.

Flight Training

2006-04-11T15:00:00.000+05:30

Chennai is not a hub for the Indian armed forces, but we are often giving sights of the air power of our Air Force. Air Shows, Airforce Symphony Orchestra's , Skill Display etc happen here atleast once ever two years if not more. I was leaving the office and notices this white line in the sky, didnt know what else to do but to take my phone and click a picture. This is probably just another Training flight over the Bay of Bengal.

Rukumini Lakshmipathi

2006-04-10T17:46:00.000+05:30

I pass this statute nearly everyday, its about a minutes walk from my office.Its right in the middle of a traffic circle and they seem to be maintaing the greenary around it as well. This circle connects the posh Montieth Road to Marshals road. But after I took the picture and got back to the office, one of my staff informed me that a while back the name of Marshals Road had been changed to Smt Rukumini Lakshmipathi Salai. Smt is short for Shrimathi, which is equavaliant to the English Miss or Mrs and Salai is tamil for road. This is a massive problem that nearly all the cities in India are facing, Indianisation of the names of the cities, streets and roads. Madras was changed to Chennai, Mount Road to Anna Salai , all fair enough and understandable, but Smt Rukumini Lakshmipathi Salai ? Who is she anyway ? Says shes a patriot on that statue, but I've not even heard of her, tried looking her up on the net and nothing . I , like many others in my city, really hope they leave the road names jsut as they were befrore, Indianisation? Yes, but not at the price of us not bieng able to remember the names of the roads/streets we live on.

Welcome to Chennai!

2006-04-09T23:48:00.000+05:30

I went to drop my dad at the International Airport earlier today and took quite a few pictures on the way out, this is a fountain right as you leave the airport, it looks absolutly beautifull! The spray of water around, the elevation, the structure, the globe on top and all those awestruck people standing around looking at it. Just thought that is something that I really need to share with the world, maybe someday you will get to see the real thing.

God Is Everywhere

2006-04-08T14:50:00.000+05:30

In Chennai, you will run accross road side temples at every nook and corner, but in all honesty, its the first time I have seen a priest look after one of these temples. This is a small temple that I pass everyday, its diagnollay opposite my office building, everyday I can see the AutoRikshaw(The yello vehicles in the picture ) drivers standing and praying there. God is all around, especially in Chennai!

Water

2006-04-07T13:06:00.000+05:30

Its summer and people all over the country are suffering without water, but here in my apartment theres a full swiming pool thats refilled and cleaned and the water dumped every twenty four hours! This is water that about forty familes could use everyday. Sometimes I feel guilty about all this, but then again, Its the Price you pay for the life you choose! This is a view from my balcony , first thing I saw this morning.

Homeless

2006-04-06T13:29:00.000+05:30

I took this picture on my way back home from the office at about 4 am, stopped over at the pharmacy to pick up some stuff for my dad, I got into the car and turned on the lights and realised these people sleeping on the sidewalk outside a hospital.These people sit down and the sidewalk during the day and take alms and at night its thier resting place. Beggers in Chennai make more than what a normal man with a normal job makes, but they save everything, but I have never understood why they save so much. Its my birthday today, and it was great to come accross something like this, something that made me realise how lucky I am.

Man over Machine

2006-04-05T14:14:00.000+05:30

Construction is a big buisness in India, just like any other part of the world. I happen to be part of that Industry as well, so I know quite a bit about how its run. I took this picture from the second floor of my office building, this is a next plot of land that has been constructed upon. Great apartments comming up there, and the price is about US$ 200,000 per apartment. Here in Chennai, Builders still preffer man over machine to do the work, There are about people working on that project, As you can see, the guy sitting on the roof is removing water which was put there so the concrete can harder, this is a job that one machine can do, but there are four people doing it instead. Talk about technology!

Taking a break!

2006-04-04T17:37:00.000+05:30

We have local state election around the corner so I went in earlier today to get my Voter ID card done. In India, normaly the goverment uses schools and colleges for things like elections, drafts, issuing for other documents , ration cards , fund and relief distribution etc.THese girls are taking a break from class while Election Commision officials are distributing the cards inside thier classrooms. A nice Juice from this stall, though I'm not certain how hygynic it will be, would cost about 5 rupees i.e about 10 US cents. The lady has it all in that cart, syrups, ice, water , sugar and all the other stuff she needs to make and sell good juice!

Rush Hour

2006-03-10T12:35:00.000+05:30

Rush hour in the city has got pretty pathetic, they are constantly working on the roads, expanding, diggning, wiring, cabbleing and God knows what else. This picture is a little after the actual rush hour, so its not very bad , and as you can see there are all sorts of vehicles on the road. One mad city to drive in!

Corner Store

2006-03-09T11:47:00.000+05:30

One of the very few remaining stores of this type. The people who run these small shops do not make much money, they just open and close the store everymoring by complusion, the compulsion of having done it all these years. The man who runs this shop is one with very strong communist beliefs. You can get just about everything here, from Pepsi to ciggaretes to biscuts. Ask for it, and you have it! They are also very conservative, especialy about selling tobaco to minors , it is against the law, but the bigger stores openly rubbish the law.I have always been buying ciggarets from the larger stores, even when I was jsut eleven, they only encouraged me, but I distinctly rember this old man abusing me for smoking so young a few years ago.

Welcome Summer

2006-03-08T13:50:00.000+05:30

The summer is finnaly approacing. Chennai has had unusal weather over the winter, its been freezing. I was walking and I felt the warm sun on my skin, Joy! Pure glee, we madrasis are not used to tempratures under 20 degree centigrade!

We work best under hot and sultry weather, if its nice and cozy, all we do is sleep!

The Textile Rainbow

2006-03-07T14:41:00.000+05:30

I was at a friends textile store a while ago on a casual visit. I was waiting for him to finish with some clients before we could talk. Walked around a little bit and noticed this part of the showroom where there were materials using which Indian women get a part of their saree stitched. I was just amazed to see the colors. It’s not the best picture in the world, but I personally like the blurredness at one end.

The picture reminds me of my city, or India as a whole, just one word. COLOURFULL!