CHENNAI: It’s not really hard to find the Dabba Chetty Kadai on Kutchery Road, Mylapore. If you ask anyone on the streets, they will tell you where to find it; it’s been around for over 130 years after all. Spotting the shop, we find K Badrinath, the present owner, behind his small desk cluttered with weighing machines and various medicines, attending to evening customers. Taking a seat opposite him in the stuffed shop, we look around at the trays and drawers filled with spices and nuts of all shapes and sizes. A pleasant spicy-flavoured scent is in the air, as we speak to the fourth-generation owner of this century-old apothecary.
Dabba Chetty Kadai stocks all raw materials like spices, seeds, nuts etc, that are used to make traditional medicine. Most raw materials are sourced from Kerala, some from Andhra and others locally in the city. It also sells readymade mixes, which are made using natural ingredients.
“In the earlier days, almost everyone knew how to make the medicines — the right proportions, how to mix it etc. But that knowledge is not available these days,” says Badrinath. That’s why he sells readymade fast-moving medicines, like cold-and-cough mix (`70) which he hands to a customer advising her ‘take half-spoon mixed in hot water, twice a day’, placing the mix in an eco-friendly cloth cover and handing it to her. He has powders for post-pregnancy, body and face wash that have powders like kasthuri manjal, paitha maavu, sembarathi powder etc.
Which medicine is most in demand here? “Sukku for digestion, Chitharathai and Adhimadhuram for cold and cough, Kandathipili for body pains, Kadukaai for clearing bowels and reducing body heat, Nellikai (gooseberry) for immunity…” Badrinath narrates non-stop. Where did he learn all this? “Mostly out of the experience of working here for the past 40 years. I started working here right after finishing school,” Badrinath quips.
The Dabba Chetty Kadai has strong patronage among many Mylaporeans and Chennaites too! Pugazhenthi, a regular customer since his childhood, recalls the effectiveness of the pitha kashayam. “We will nicely powder the medicine the night before in the ammi and then boil it in a manpaanai the next morning. We’d drink it before food in the morning —you can’t even keep it in your tongue, it’s so bitter! But it flushes out every toxin from your body,” assures the 55-year-old man. “But you have to stay home that day as you will need to go to the bathroom at least 4-5 times!” he laughs, attributing his good health today to such medicines.
Many people like Jayshree, a Mylaporean, buy all their homam and Temple abhishekam items from here. “I feel satisfied when I buy all these items here. We can believe in purity and authenticity only from this shop,” Jayshree shares.Badrinath asserts that though the patronage for traditional medicine was dull a few years ago, it’s picking up pace now due to more awareness of its benefits over allopathy. “New people visit me after reading about traditional medicine online, looking for side-effect-free ways to cure common ailments,” he smiles, turning to the next customer.
Find Dabba Chetty Kadai at #46 (Old #181) Kutchery Road, Mylapore. Open from 9 am-1 pm and 3 pm-8 pm, except Sundays. For details, call 24985125