Immunity in a bathrobe

Revive the art of ayurvastra in Ayurganic, their line of medicinal clothing

It’s noon in Kerala, and we’re sweating bullets, trying to understand the nuances of ayurvastra— fabric that has been dyed with medicinal herbs to enhance health and beauty. Rajan, who’s explaining this to us, is the sixth generation (on record) of the Kuzhivila family who’s trading in this fabric. Their lineage goes back to the Silk Route, when they supplied rajas with turmeric-dyed cloth. And perhaps this would have been a dying art, if it were not for the curious minds of designer duo Lecoanet-Hemant. The multi-award winning designers, who began their journey as couturiers in Paris, are now refining the concept of ayurvastra, with a line of garments under the label Ayurganic. At their factory in Balarampuram, where the bricks are infused with healing herbs and the walls plastered withneempaint and sandalwood oil, Hemant Sagar takes us through the painstaking process of creating thise products.

From the forest

The first step is to procure GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic cotton from Tamil Nadu. Once the swatches are delivered, they’re bleached in a natural aloe vera solution, then dipped in natural gums so they can absorb and hold on to the colour and medicinal properties of the herbs. After dyeing the fabric for a minimum of six hours in ayurvedic herbs, it is cooled, washed and kept in a dark room for a minimum of 15 days. “The longer you keep it in the darkness, the more steadfast the colour and healing properties,” explains Rajan. The processing unit is located in the heart of the Agastya forest, where Rajan and his team source more than 1,200 herbs, used for various combinations that range from immunity, to better sleep, to glowing skin. The water used to dye the fabric is believed to be medicinal as well, to be consumed or bathed in to enhance health and beauty.

Interestingly, we’re told that when the cloth is washed in the nearby Neyyar River, there is an increase in the fish population (because of the various healing herbs).

The challenges

In this world of fast fashion where garments are constructed in as less than a couple of hours, delving in a project such as Ayurganic requires not just patience but also a desire to redefine the industry. Some of the things Sagar and Didier Lecoanet struggle with include the time taken to create the dyed fabric before it’s delivered to their Gurugram atelier, and the fact that production halts during the Kerala monsoon. “The one time we insisted, we got fabric that was incredibly patchy because everything gets mildew,” says Sagar. And because it’s a traditional process, there’s no way to ensure uniformity of colour.

We must credit the designers for their intelligence — by adding a satin weave through the organic cotton, they have made the fabric richer and more pliant. Currently, the garments are only available in one light yellow shade till they can perfect the colour uniformity. The blend for this shade is used to enhance overall health and immunity. Many different herbs (including red sandalwood, sweetflag, vetiver, wild turmeric) are used; however,neemis the main ingredient with 20% concentration.

The inside story

Not many people know that they had begun work on Ayurganic much before Genes, their ready-to-wear collection. Back in their Gurugram home, Sagar recalls how it all started back in 2008, thanks to an eclectic Frenchman they employed. “For three years, he travelled around India, before he discovere dayurvastra . We changed the concept by bringing in certified cotton,” he says. For the first couple of years, they were simply experimenting, until they got a call from the first ayurveda website in Germany (ayurveda-portal.de) who became their partners in Deutsch land. This gave them access to more than 30 top ayurvedic institutes in that country, who loved the garments.

But wellness isn’t just a business deal for them. Outside the work environment, Sagar is usually seen walking barefoot to stay connected to the earth. He also has a healing crystal carafe to charge his drinking water and is into bio-hacking, a light hypnosis programme that you can use for anything — from enhancing well-being or to stop smoking. Lecoanet meditates regularly, and works on three-week detoxes.

Even their 1,00,000 sq ft, five-floor atelier features recycled grey water, and natural light floods the building. It’s a far cry from sleepy Balaramapuram, but a fitting climax, for a brand that creates these easy, elegant and very refined outfits.

The writer was in Kerala at the invitation of Leocanet Hemant

Chennai’s walk-to-work hubs june 2019

With cities growing rapidly and infrastructure not keeping pace, the daunting work commute has given a massive impetus to the ‘walk-to-work’ concept in India. Cities like Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad were the forerunners of this primarily IT/ITeS-driven phenomenon. Chennai is the next city to follow suit.

Top hotspots

Along OMR, locations such as Perungudi, Thalambur and Perumbakkam offer multiple advantages including a short commute to workplace hubs and an upmarket lifestyle at a comparably lower cost. These options make perfect sense for buyers employed in and around Taramani and Perungudi.

As per Anarock data, the average property prices in Perungudi range from Rs. 5,300 to 7,500 per sq. ft. — nearly one-third of the prices in Adyar, and significantly lower than Thiruvanmiyur, where prices are in the Rs. 8,400 to Rs. 12,200 per sq. ft. range. Perungudi’s property prices are also comparable to those in Velachery (Rs. 5,200 – Rs. 8,200 per sq. ft.).

Demand and supply

Alternately, Perumbakkam (close to Shollinganallur ELCOT SEZ) and Thalambur have also upgraded their liveability quotient in recent years, even as property prices maintained status quo. The average property prices in these localities range between Rs. 3,400 and Rs. 5,000 per sq. ft., which is comparable to those in projects located beyond Kelambambakkam — around 10 km away from the employment hub of Siruseri.

Affordable locales

With Porur likely to see the influx of more IT Parks by players like RMZ Corp, K Raheja Corp and ASV, demand for housing in and around the area will gain momentum in the coming quarters. Besides being in close proximity to workplaces, prominent micro markets around this employment hub such as Iyappanthangal and Gerugambakkam offer a compelling buy proposition.

Property prices in the localities range between Rs. 3,600 and Rs. 6,000 per sq. ft. and their social and lifestyle facilities are comparable to those in central Chennaii. With the upcoming Metro rail till Poonamallee, existing world-class hospitals and big box retailers and as F&B outlets in place, these locations are attractive investment options.

New growth areas

properties located closer to the central city are priced above Rs. 8,000 per sq. ft., while those closer to major employment hubs are priced within Rs. 4,000 per sq. ft.

Similarly, Mogappair, Vanagaram, Ambattur and Nolambur — located close to Ambattur Industrial Estate — have also seen steady improvement in social infrastructure and overall liveability. Today, these locations have more than adequate lifestyle amenities and also offer a short commute to employment hubs — at real estate prices almost half of those in Anna Nagar.

To conclude

At this stage, Chennai may not have caught up with Bengaluru in terms of walk-to-work housing options; however, the concept is definitely emerging. Developers have realised its untapped potential and are eyeing affordable areas close to Chennai’s employment hubs to unleash such options.

Most importantly, these locations are seeing steady improvement in their social and civic infrastructure profiles, even as slower price growth in these erstwhile outskirts create a strong value proposition for home buyers today.

Happy tummies

Nei Idly Sambar is named after its speciality dish — big white fluffy idlis, doused in fragrant ghee and soaked in spicy, flavourful sambar. In addition, it also offers four varieties of podi idli (spicy, karvepillai, ellu and poondu) fiery and gleaming with a vibrant orange coat, idli with vadakari, filter kaapi and goli soda. “Since this is a Chennai-based food truck, we wanted the dishes to be quintessentially Chennai. The ghee used is made by Aditya’s aunt. “It’s organic and smells great,” he says. The batter for the idli too is made by her. With plans to add one new dish every month, recipes are being tested out. Uthappam and a few varieties of dosa (ghee, chilli cheese and podi) are in the offing. Among their ambitious plans is something called lava idli.

Nei Idly Sambar is open from 6 pm to 11 pm at Drive ‘n’ Eats, Vasu Street, behind Ega Theatre, Kilpauk. For details call: 9840561061

Alien Stone

Flashes of electric pink light radiate from a hulking black object at Palavakkam Beach. Fear not, it’s just Alien Stone, a food truck that’s been a regular at this spot since October 2018.This truck has all the fast food favourites: golden fries (in seven varieties including mushroom, lime and cheese), burgers, fish fingers and milk shakes. They even make steaks.

On most evenings, their solid assorted burgers, no bun burgers and prawn frizzles draw crowds who surround the food truck, like fans around a rockstar. While customers wait, they can play a game of Speed of Light — an arcade game — that’s built into the side of the vehicle.

The kitchen has three people whipping up the dishes, “We make sure to clear out the stock for the day with some special offers at night, so we get fresh products daily,” he says.

Alien Stone is parked at Karunanidhi Beach Road, Palkalai Nagar, Palavakkam. It is open between 5.30 pm and 11 pm. For details, call: 8939866899

MIDNIGHT MOR

in Thousand Lights leads customers to Rajan, selling chilled buttermilk off his old TVS 50

Tufts of yellow sponge peek out of the torn black seat of a classic green TVS 50 parked on Murugesan Complex Road, Greams Road. Mounted on it is a red plastic pot serving fresh buttermilk, every night between 9 pm and 4 am.

Eighteen years ago, he sold the buttermilk off his TVS 50 for ₹3. Today, the drink costs ₹30 and Chetta employs four people at his shop.

He now sells tea, veg puffs, bun-butter-jam, samosas and veg rolls as well. Chetta also takes catering orders for wedding and parties. “Our USP is that we function during the night”, says D Arvind who has been working at Chetta’s for 13 years. “Even at 2 am in the morning, there are customers flooding in. It is mostly IT workers who come at that hour. Our customers are mainly from Sowcarpet and Nungambakkam, but some come from Ambattur, Avadi, Poonamallee, ECR and Kovalam as well,” he says.

Rajan says that the curd for this buttermilk comes from a dairy farm in Walajabad, Kanchipuram district. “The curd arrives at 4 am and we make around 50 litres of buttermilk at 4 pm everyday.”

With visibility on the Internet, location availability on Google Maps and open options of Google Pay, PhonePe and Paytm for payments, Chetta Buttermilk is customer-friendly. “We hope to tie up with Zomato within a month’s time,” he says.

 

Triplicane Ramadan Walk

Against the fading evening light, the Big (Wallajah) Mosque stands tall in Triplicane and is brimming with people, all decked up. Soon, it will be time to break the fast. And so, we are guided to the right wing of the mosque where a line of women sit on cane mats, their bowls filled with generous amounts ofnombu kanji . We too, are asked to sit and before we know it, we are being served:nombu kanji, vegetable fried rice, onion samosas, rose milk and so on. They don’t heed to our repeated requests to serve less -- “No, it’s okay, please have as much as you can” and move to the next line. Before long, as theazaanresounds in the air, everyone begins feasting.

This is from where the fourth edition of The Park Ramadan walk begins, to discover the iconic places in Triplicane that serveiftardelicacies. “This mosque shows the best example of living in harmony. Many non-Muslims, especially Gujaratis and Sindhis, set up shop during Ramzan. In fact, they make the food and serve too,” says Chef Ashutosh Nerlekar, who curated the walk.

After a one-and-a-half kilometre walk, we reach Fakir Street which houses the famous Basha Halwawala: the board outside declares “no branches” as the empty ‘New Basha Halwawala’ looks on from the opposite side.

Dumka roat is the first dessert in line. Easily the highlight of the walk, this sweet is the perfect combination ofsooji, khoa,ghee and sugar. It has a gooey consistency and the strongly caramelised bits on top taste like toffee. The sweetness is not overpowering, making a second or third serving possible.

It’s time to end the evening with hot badam milk. An old man on a scooter selling attar directs us to a badam milk outlet, called Mani Lassi Shop. The simmering milk fills a steel cauldron up to the brim. A man scoops up the boiling drink in a ladle and pours it diagonally from atop — the action is done to separate the cream from the milk. As people watch, he serves glass after glass of steaming badam milk; with and without a dollop of cream on top, depending on customer preferences. The milk is a soothing respite to an evening of sampling most of Triplicane’s most colourful culinary secrets.

Chennai's mini information

What’s peeking?

Sockaboo, that customises pairs with comical design elements

started catering to the wedding industry. The recent feature on the website is the gift box where customers can choose six pairs from their collection and gift them to their loved ones with a customised message.

For details, visit their instagram page: @sockabooofficial or website: www.sockaboo.com

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Fabric of life

design brand Varnuyathe.  Only the final stitching of our garments is done by machine.” What set the brand apart is the fabric it uses, sourced from aloe vera, pineapple, bamboo and other plants. The Varnuyathe Studio in Anna Nagar lets you choose your fabric and get your clothes custom-made — “We don’t keep pre-made stock, except for some saris,”

The focus of her brand is on kidswear and women. While the former begins at Rs. 800 and goes on to Rs. 4,000 the latter starts at Rs. 1,200. For details, call 9884317823.

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From shelf to compost pit

Everwards  have a range of body butters, bath salts, scrubs and shampoo in powder form. And then there are spoons, forks, bowls and teacups made from coconut shells.  “Our notebooks are made from pushed consumer cotton waste.” These are the unusable, oft-discarded strands of cotton left behind by clothes manufacturers.

For details and to buy, visit www.everwards.co.in

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The great jhumka adventure

Scent of a woman

Mohammad Yasheen’s attar shop, replete with glass bottles of different shapes and sizes. There are also bowls of surma that you can buy for ₹50. My personal favourite is the tiny bottle of woody oudh that smells like a forest, and costs just ₹30.

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Glass houses

New Mahalakshmi Bangles catches our eye and we enter the shop to a burst of kaleidoscopic colour. 

Most of the bangles, made of brass, plastic, and glass, are sourced from Jaipur and Mumbai.

The cheapest bangles there are made of glass, cost ₹25, and are so camp, you can only wear them ironically. For ₹5 more, you can buy basic steel bangles.

Roadside dreams

B Nagalakshmi’s roadside stall. The 41-year-old from Suryapet in Telangana, started this business right outside the house her family has been renting for the past four years. She buys the ‘fashion jewellery’ wholesale and keeps a meagre profit margin; the jhumkas we like cost ₹60.

panipuris at Kakada Ramprasad. What’s ₹30 more?

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A meaty battle

Will home-grown nombu kanji be athaleem, a Persian import?

Hyderabadihaleem!

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Follow the sizzle

 food cart in West Mambalam sells a unique snack calledsundal vadai.

West Mambalam, nearby Ayodhya Mandapam is hard to miss. “ Bonda, molaga bajji, onion bajji, potato bajji to vegetable sundal , we sell everything,” sundal vadai,