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Photo: G. Moorthy

Heady mix On the threshold for long, people from Temple City are now in the midst of a retail boom

While some may be lost in short-term fun of New Year programmes in hotels on 31st night, some may be sharing a private dinner with their loved ones. Some may just sit back and watch TV hosts usher in 2008. For many it may just be like any other night, tucking themselves early in bed.

While a festive season is a well spring of mirth and merriment, celebration is also something related to the prevalent culture and environment. Madurai has always been considered a hostile terrain for any kind of kitsch or raunchy fashion and lifestyle. There is practically nothing that alters the night life, no restobars or coffee pubs, lounge bars or off beat cafes, bowling alleys or disco hotspots that classify as modernistic hang-outs for celebrations in metropolises.

The only brouhaha over universal celebrations like Christmas and New Year are at best left to the hospitality industry (see box) and may be a handful of private theme parties.

But then the interesting news is as Madurai steps into the new year, it is set to experience a deeper phase of penetration of the typical metro culture. The West-oriented “addas” of fun, food, music and art, malls and hypermarkets, multi-brand fashion stores and food chains all are getting readied to break new grounds in the holy abode of Goddess Meenakshi.

To the conservative lobby, it may sound impossible but then there is a set of minds working overtime to bring in contemporary lifestyle to the city. It has already started happening what with swank outlets cropping up here and there giving ample chance and choice to the burgeoning band of consumers who are now more than willing to spend.

All those critics of Madurai, who dismiss off this ancient city as a rural village in one stroke, here is a cuppa cheer that Temple Town is all set for a mega transformation.

The good or ill-effects of a small town upgrading itself into a mini-metro is debatable. What is imminently unavoidable is Madurai’s altered face in 2008 and the subsequent years at least in the supply side of retail revolution to begin with.

The city cannot afford to be an exception to the retail revolution taking place elsewhere. This unstoppable phenomenon made the well known Vora family running the Milan fashion store for over three decades sit up five years ago.

“Clothing is the flash point in any changing society and we found a large number of people ready to jump and embrace trends even if it is at the cost of diluting traditions. Peoples’ desire for labels and lavishness really surprised us as it was contrary to the image one has about the locals here,” says Amar Vora of Milan

And thus struck the idea of opening the city’s first ever mall. Likely to be called “Milan-em”, it is slated for inauguration during Tamil New Year Day in April next year.

The dream project spread over 50,000 square feet has been designed by Mumbai-based architect, Khursheed Wazir. The ground floor is meant for super market with an atrium in the centre where there will be live orchestra or car launch programmes or even birthday parties or some other creative activity daily.

The first floor will sell only garments from popular to premium brands while all accessories that go with prêt line will find space on the second floor. The third floor will be a huge and exclusive food court where biggies like Pizza Hut or McDonalds are being roped in.

By 2009, plans are to add two more floors which will have a multiplex theatre with three screens and a kids’ zone complete with video games.

“We extensively toured all major malls across the country and realised that the metro markets are getting saturated while the potential of small cities still remain untapped,” says Mr.Amar Vora.

With the city on a fast forward mode, Reliance arrived with a bang launching four outlets simultaneously this winter and before 2008 ends, they plan to have at least a dozen Reliance Fresh Stores in Madurai.

Discloses the Reliance Mentor for South Tamil Nadu, Mr.M Balachandran, while the Reliance Fresh stores have been launched as a pilot project, the other format stores like the hypermarket malls called the Reliance Mart and other super speciality stores like wellness, home-based products, cosmetics and accessories are all going to hit Madurai within two years.

“We are not entering as competitors but it is a win-win situation for all. The wind of change is now blowing across unexplored India with the metropolitan culture spreading outwards and seeping into small and big cities and towns,” he says, adding that organised modern retail has come here to stay.

An overhaul in Madurai’s lifestyle quotient is perhaps certain in some ways. And it is not going to happen only with food, grocery, apparel and accessories, FMCGs and consumer durables, restaurant chains and food services but even through entertainment. If you have already checked out the Ganesh Adlabs Theatre taken over by the Reliance, the good news is there are going to be at least two more from them.

And those who haven’t yet had the chance, grab the next opportunity to watch a film in a heightened ambience. Auto push back seats, a real chill out airconditioning, seat serving during interval, special seats like platinum, gold and silver for single women, couples and families, entry on priority to senior citizens and women with children, a perfectly maintained interiors and outdoors, an orderly security check, helpful staff, all make the movie watching experience very different.

Redone at a cost of over Rs.One Crore, the theatre screens different films for each of its four shows as a novelty. Beams the manager, R.L.Velavan, weekends and first day first shows are fully packed in this 672-seater two-and-a-half- month old theatre. On weekdays, attendance varies from 60 per cent to 80 per cent.

And if you thought Madurai consumer was not really inclined or empowered for big money purchases, you are mistaken.

Tickets are sold here for Rs.40 and 50 but imported popcorn goes for Rs.45, 75 and 90 and there are appreciable takers!

With other outsiders in the retail chain like the Nilgiris and the Spencers also enjoying a good patronage from the local population, the city’s own and first departmental store, Remuki too is going for a major revamp, which includes a five-storey fully air-conditioned multi-brand store with a multiple tiered underground parking.

The new look Remuki is likely to be done in two years.

Setting up of the Tidel Park, airport expansion plan, construction of flyovers, overhead bridges are all ambitious infrastructure development projects which induce a feel-good factor combining excitement, energy and enthusiasm among the people.

What is sure is that “small” is now becoming the “fast new big” and there will be no dearth of opportunities or ways of celebrating any event in the years to come.

Moving from dosa to pizza and pavadais to jeans may have taken several decades, but heritage keepers are confident that there will be no strain on footfalls and sales of either.

For, that is the spirit of Madurai, where people are willing to spend when convinced of quality without ever losing touch with what belonged to them originally.

It is for the sunrise generation which likes to rock on new year eve to ensure that bubbling mixture of tradition and modernity remains ever alive.

The hospitality industry is all set to rock the people of Madurai:

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