The chariots of Chennai


The history

Sitting cross-legged on his wooden bench, Thennavan speaks fondly of his horse- and-buggy-on-hire business. It is 141 years old; he inherited it from his family and has been running it for 35-odd years. He has 15 horses, 30 ready-to-hire buggies and employs 20 people to run the stables. “I am the only one in this ‘chariot’ business in Chennai,” he says, talking above the din of traffic on Poonamallee Road. With four magnificent horses to his left and several painted carriages to his right, he looks a bit of a king talking to his court. He continues: Bodyguard Muneeswaran Koil got its name from the bodyguards’ horses that stood at a gate nearby, and Kodambakkam is named after Godabagh (garden of horses) near the railway station.

His stables are spread across the city — opposite Ripon Building, Pulianthope, Pallavan Nagar and a godown in Red Hills. His star is the magnificent black-and-white horse, Raja..................Read more

 

Source: The Hindu


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