From all these visits, I noticed in every place that they are very happy to receive some cloth or some money. I found that Cooptex in Madras gave out very good sale during Pongal season this year - saree for Rs.40 and Dhoti for Rs.30.  Maybe these items can be bought before hand and distributed as and when we go there to those in Madapalli or to the sweeper lady or anyone who does a good service there.

I bought Perumal Pathirangal like Vattil/tambalam udhirini etc (one tambalam in brass, 5 vattils of nearly 1 litre each in Vengalam and a udhirini for Rs. 1600) from the B.L.T. Stores at N.S.C. Bose Road near ChennaKesava Perumal Koil in Madras.  Things-in good quality- are very reasonably priced in this store - (of course one has to bargain a lot) and even other items like Vadakalai/Thenkalai Thiruman and  Pooja materials are also available here.  This is a good store and located near Flower Bazaar Police Station.  Near to this shop there is another Mohammaden shop which we found to be very reasonable for Perumal aparanangal and also for various types of Thiruman.

I found that buying the textiles like Pattharu veshti and sarees for Thayars could be expensive if it is from big stores like Kumaran, Nalli and Rangachari and all.  Instead there is a small shop  - Gajalakshmi textiles, North Mada Street, Mylapore (opposite to Sri Sukra Jewellers) - Tel-2461 8858.

These above two information could be useful to anybody who would like to buy this type of things for temples.  My experience is that it is better to buy things from Madras itself as we hardly find time to buy things at the places wherever we happen to go. ( I thought it would be cheaper to buy sarees and dhotis in Kumbakonam and ultimately landed up paying much more than what I would have paid if I had bought them in Madras).  It is wiser to buy things before we start our trip.

With Regards,

Subashini Narasimhan
subashini.narasimhan@unece.org