Century-old shandy to get a swanky permanent address

Chennai: From dried fish stalls to daily essentials, the Muthigai Nallan Kuppam Maatu Sandhai, a weekly Tuesday market, is set to shed its makeshift setup for a permanent address. The transformation aims to preserve the traditional essence of this suburban shandy, while enhancing its infrastructure with galvanized roofing and organised retail spaces.

Spanning 11 acres owned by the Thirukazhkundram town panchayat, the Sandhai, which is nearly a century old, once featured more than 150 stalls, primarily selling dried fish sourced from Mamallapuram, Sadras and Pudhupattinam. Over the years, however, factors such as overcharging by certain tender holders led to a decline, leaving only about 40 active stalls. "One of the main reasons was overcharging by those managing the shandy, forcing people to move elsewhere. Even customers were not spared, they were forced to pay more for bags," said D Yuvaraj, chairman of Thirukazhkundram.

Now, with a 2.2 crore grant under the Kalaignar Urban Development Scheme, the shandy will be revitalised into a bustling marketplace, featuring 40 dried fish vendors and 110 other traders offering groceries, clothes, vegetables, and more. "Earlier, there was no roof for them. We are emulating the Marina Loop Road fish market model. This will be a shelter from rain and heat. This was a demand from traders," added Yuvaraj.

The upgrade also includes ample parking and restroom facilities, addressing longstanding needs of both customers and traders.

According to M K Vijayakumar, a 42-year-old resident of M N Kuppam, the shandy was once a lively spot for livestock, farm supplies, and eateries, drawing people from 54 surrounding panchayats. "All these years it was not maintained well. There used to five eateries here. So one can imagine the crowd that used to come here," he said.

A local, M Dilli, highlighted the potential of this market to revive local livelihoods and foster community interaction in an era of increasing online shopping. "The shandy should be operated well. This market is surrounded by trees and has a compound wall around," Dilli said.