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. Looking for traditional sarees, budget kick-knacks or a space to play rooftop footy? Then check out these seven cool places in the ever-bustling 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. We’ve been sung to, danced too and even kindly asked to shop for wares from them. 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 as a purely 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.
This a shop that my grandfather took my father to, to shop for stationery. An easy to miss, the tiny shop on Usman Road is known for its pens and is one of the few places you can get antique ink pens serviced. Rightly so as they’ve been around since antique ink pens were the norm. You can pick up a Lamy, Sheaffer or any other fancy pen, in addition to their range of cheaper writing instruments. In the recent years however, people don’t write as much as and the shop has lost its allure, and so they’ve taken to selling toys for kids as well. Stationery fans, drop by!
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, and the recent years have seen no decline in those numbers as there are constantly more jewellery shops opening up. 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 and offers a 360 degree view of the city 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 4v4 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. For more on Tiki Taka, click here.
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