It takes one by awe that thousands of business transactions flow quite smoothly in Sowcarpet where even a handcart cannot move an inch without difficult. Many are the commercial spaces in Sowcarpet, which do not measure more than a 10' x 10' square. A table a chair and a Sowcar with his telephone. That is all it takes to run a business that touches a turnover of several lakhs a month. The ground floor from where the Sowcar operates would be so simple and plain, resembling the kitchen of some wedding hall. And in the first floor, his residence. People would be surprised to see the beauty of these residences - quite inconsistent with the street and the ground floor of the very same building. The residents of the Sowcarpet are blessed with the special skill to convert even the smallest space - as the Tamil idiom has it 'mookOttai alavau' the size of one's nostrils into a very comfortable and luxurious living space.
It is not that only Sowcars, Rajasthanis and Gujaratis live in Sowcarpet. The Komutti Chettiars are living there for generations together. The commerce of these days transcends the borders of varnaasrama and therefore many others have their shops too in Sowcarpet. If one takes a look, non-Hindus like Jains and Muslims also are a majority in Park Town.
The lifestyle of Jains is not much different from the Hindu household. They are Vegetarians. Non - vegetarianism is a 'no no' in Hinduism too, after the advent of Adi Sankara. The Jains of Sowcarpet closely resemble the Marwaris and Gujaratis. There is a beautiful temple for Swetambarar in Mint Street. A structure of marble stones. The temple is maintained very well and is an example of cleanliness.
The fact that too many business houses are concentrated in Sowcarpet tempts one to ask the question, 'Will there be sufficient income for all in the area?' Just take a walk to the Nainiappa Naicken Street. There will be rows and rows of shops selling herbs and other medicines. 'Country medical shops' is the name by which they are known. You can see that they are very active and are selling their wares throughout the day. The beehive of activity there answers our question.
Ashoka Mithran
Retro Chennai from Asoka Mithran looks back at Chennai, in fact the Madras as it was known and existed. The column traces the city's lifescape at various points of time.