Thyagaraya Nagar or more fondly known as T Nagar is one of the oldest parts of the city. Initially, a trading community, in the last half-century has grown in to arguably the biggest commercial hub of Chennai. Whether you're looking for traditional sarees, budget knick-knacks or a space to play rooftop footy, this guide to shopping in T Nagar.
A department store that didn’t stop growing is what Saravana Stores is. The first thing you will notice is how palatial their stores are and how surprisingly crowded they are at all hours. Saravana Stores is essentially our version of Walmart, they sell everything from clothes to electronics to furniture to jewellery to home appliances and more at base prices. If budget shopping is your jam, you’ve come to the right place. In the recent years they’ve opened up a few more stores around T Nagar but we think you should go check out the original one on Ranganathan Street, a.k.a. the most crowded street in Chennai, just to see where it all started.
T Nagar is also known for its street shopping, as you’ll find hawkers on every pavement peddling everything from wigs to fidget spinners and selfie sticks. The street shopping in Pondy Bazaar however, has plenty of women’s accessories like hair bands, bangles, bags etc. They’re all open to bargaining and can be super enterprising when it comes to attracting customers. They sell clothes too, but quality-wise you get what you pay for. Here’s a list of cute products we found at Pondy Bazaar for as low as INR 60. There’s plenty of food stalls and restaurants like Hot Chips and Woodlands that are great to eat at. For more on Pondy Bazaar click here.
There are plenty of textile houses in Pondy Bazaar to shop for sarees from (Naidu Hall, Chennai, )but none as large as Pothys. The immediately noticeable green “P” logo can be found plastered on the side of their massive store on Usman Road. They opened purely as a saree shop and have now expanded into clothes for men, women, and children. However, their sarees are still their forte. The sheer range in terms of fabric, price, and style is hard to match and that’s what made them popular. So if you’re looking to buy sarees, we recommend coming here at least once.
The city’s commercial hub also happens to be jewellery central. Traditional India has long been obsessed with stockpiling gold and big-name stores like NAC Jewellers, Lalithaa Jewellery, Prince Jewellery and others cater to just that need. It’s not uncommon for families to come spend lakhs of rupees on jewellery before weddings. Younger audiences, however, are moving away from the gold craze of the previous generation and precious metals like platinum are more popular now. So if you’re ever looking for fancy jewellery, you now know where to go.
The Crown, Residency Towers is one of the highest and most luxurious restaurants in the city, offering a 360-degree view of Chennai with an infinity pool to boot (no swimming allowed though, strangely, but the view is still lovely). They’re known for their continental fare, especially the sea food as it’s all freshly caught and prepared. You’ll get a bird’s eye view of the entire city and a great meal. Don’t forget to take plenty of photos!
Chennai’s largest covered rooftop football ground is in a tiny lane in T Nagar. It’s hard to find places to play sport in Chennai because of how crowded the city is, and we love that there are options like Tiki Taka that allow us to do so. The pitch is big enough for a 4 vs 4 game and has synthetic turf laid on it. There’s also a nice air-conditioned viewing gallery as well as a section for video games. Amenities wise, they’ve got clean toilets, showers, air-conditioned locker rooms, mineral water dispensers and even a central music system to play your favourite jams.
Yet another find from our chronicles of Fathima Plaza in T Nagar, Dawood’s Shoes, a footwear store in the basement has budget footwear for men and women. Find a surplus of ballerinas, moccasins, and flip-flops In the women’s section. These are interesting as they come in darker colours like brown and black rather than pink and red. Men, shop super budget loafers and sandals here starting INR 300. The store has more options in men's footwear, and this store has a collection for formal footwear. Shop brogues, derby, and oxfords here if you’re looking for dress shoes.
We discovered Shivani Store at Maya Plaza. They’ve got everything from cutlery to storage baskets at affordable prices. Life just got simpler, isn't it? In the crockery section, the mason jars in various colours were the first thing we picked up. Priced from INR 350, these jars come in different shapes and the prints like yellow and white Madras checks, Eiffel Tower, the streets of London, and elephants just made them cute to power infinity. Our fave is the bulb-shaped neon- blue mason jar with a twirly straw. Besides glass, they also have ceramic and melamine crockery.
It’s not every day that you can purchase a Gap shirt, but at these budget prices, it’s just super easy! We found shirts, pants, and trousers starting INR 600 at One Style, a budget menswear store in T-Nagar. Deck yourselves up in these plain and checkered shirts and ace those meetings. One Style also has some really cool stuff from Zara. Shirts, joggers and formal pants - these are all steal-worthy because of the style and the price. In formal shirts, there are button-downs, wingtip, and classic collared shirts. Expect mellow colours like blue and also a few colours which pop out.
This store is perfect if you are looking for casual everyday clothing for men, women, and kids under one roof. At Instore in T Nagar you can purchase everything from shirts, pants, and T-shirts to boxers, shorts, and sportswear. Brands like Adidas, Puma, and Tommy Hilfiger are available starting INR 700, for men and for the ladies, find Indian clothing options such as Kurtis palazzos, salwar sets, and long skirts. We loved the long skirts which have a lot of Rajput and Mughal art on them.
