India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [277]
Cane & Bamboo (21 Marshalls Rd., Egmore; 044/2852-8672) is another good shop for curios and gifts—trays, bowls, spoons, lamps, and other handicrafts made of different types of wood sourced from all over India—and managed by the knowledgeable Mrs. Thangam Philip, who can tell you about the different artifacts she stocks. But perhaps our favorite Chennai shop is Amethyst at 14 Padmavathi Rd. in Gopalapuram (see “Where to Dine,” above): an excellent collection of clothing, furniture, and souvenir handicrafts made with Indian fabrics and a mix of traditional and fab modern Indian design elements (look out for the Avadh collection of contemporary clothes from Lucknow with “retro” accents, and stunning jewelry made by Amrapali) and a great coffee shop where you can relax while pondering just what to purchase. Nearby is Kalpa Druma (71 Cathedral Rd., Gopalapuram; opposite Chola Sheraton 044/2811-7652 or -1695), spread across three buildings, one of them five stories high, for a huge variety of housewares, handicrafts, gifts, and antique furniture across all budgets—hard to believe that Chennai has the only outlet! Like Amethyst, Chamiers (85 Chamiers Rd, 24311495;www.chamiersshop.com) offers a holistic shopping experience, with a cafe where you can sip organic coffee or fruit juice. Aside from the variety of gifts, and the well-known international Indo-Western brand Anokhi, there’s Lokessh Ahuja, an interesting menswear range. Finally, even if you have absolutely no intention of buying a silk sari, you must visit Nalli Chinnasami Chetty (9 Nageswaran Rd., T. Nagar, near Panagal Park; 044/2434-4115; www.nallisilk.com), a Chennai institution, where you can’t help but fall in love with the exquisite silks, including the famous Kanchipuram silks. While on the busy shopping mecca of T. Nagar, look out for Kazaana Jewellery (the other outlet is on Cathedral Rd., the first shop in India to introduce a “guarantee card” to buy back any item at market rate); aside from quality saris and silks, T Nagar street is one of the best places to look for clothing bargains, while Pantheon Road is the place for cheap but attractive linen. And eco-warriors shouldn’t leave town without looking over Prana: Live Natural (D6 6th St., near Chintamani, Anna Nagar East; 044/4217-0077): organic clothing for men and women, all natural or naturally dyed (or “safe-chemical” dyed).
WORLD’S WEALTHIEST TEMPLE: TIRUPATI
Situated on a peak of the Tirumalai Hills, overlooking Tirupati (just across the Tamil Nadu border into Andhra Pradesh), is the second busiest and richest religious center on earth (after the Vatican), drawing more than 10 million devoted pilgrims every year. Certainly the richest temple in the world, the Dravidian-style Sri Venkateswara Temple is said to be the heart of Hindu piety, but in many ways it appears to exist expressly for the collection of wealth connected to a legendary loan: Lord Venkateswara, the living form of Vishnu, apparently borrowed an enormous amount of money from the God of Wealth in order to secure a dowry for his bride. Devotees donate generously in order to help their god settle his debt—the loan must be repaid in full, with interest, before the end of this epoch. Annual donations of jewelry, cash, and gold (along with sales of laddus or sweets and donated human hair) total around 1.5 billion rupees. Much of this goes to the temple kitchens that prepare meals, free accommodations for pilgrims, and various charitable hospitals and schools.
The inner shrine is presided over by a diamond-ornamented 2m (61⁄2-ft.) black idol that stands at the end of a narrow passage. Pilgrims queue for hours, sometimes days, excitedly preparing for darshan—the extraordinarily brief moment when you’re all but pushed past the god by guards to ensure that