Z is for Zam Bazaar Market and some more… #BlogchatterA2Z

Chennai city still has a few Heritage Markets, and Zam Bazaar Market is one of the few that still stands. This market is apparently more than a century old, though no is really sure when exactly it came into being.

Zam Bazaar is a huge single-storied building housing more than 800 shops in and around it. Visit it to shop for fresh vegetables, various meats, fish, rice and banana leaves. More than 4 generations of the same household have owned and run some of  the shops here.

Zam Bazaar Market was founded by a well respected merchant of Madras, Mr Phiroz Muncherji Clubwala who owned it till his death in 1927. Building and running private markets was a prestige issue and an economically attractive business, the novelty of which attracted entrepreneurs back then.

In those days Zam Bazaar, and similar markets, were regularly inspected for their sanitary conditions, state of facilities and were licensed periodically. They were well patronised too, mostly by the elite.

Now they are filthy and uncared for.

The view on the Heritage Markets of the city is divided. Not having being maintained over the years, the heritage structures are now dilapidated, they are crumbling and dangerous to operate from. The locals however oppose demolition and relocation. Having been here for generations, they feel that conserving these markets is a better option, after all they aren’t just markets but a piece of history.

This is the last post for the BlogchatterA2Z  Challenge.

While my eyes, neck shoulders, fingers AND Laptop are feeling Zen I must confess that my heart is a wee bit sad.

Thanks to the topic I chose for this month long blogging journey, I have rediscovered my City-in-law. So what happens now, I asked myself? Now that this Challenge is over , what about my brand new relationship I managed to form with this city?

To write these posts I began a journey of discovery, and it shall continue, with more zeal. For what I have discovered so far has only urged me to find out more.

There is the Zoo, which I hear is very well maintained.

Like every city does, Chennai too has a Point Zero. What is amusing though is that where the Point Zero is, or should be is a topic of an ongoing debate that hasn’t reached a conclusion yet.

Oh wait! Have I told you about Zaitoon, a chain of restaurants here, my go-to for good Arabic food? Their Pepper Barbeque Chicken is the bomb! It is literally my comfort food!

Then there is….

 Written for the theme

My A to Z of Chennai: The City Viewed Through An Outsiders Eye

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