Margazhi menu in the making...

With this year’s Margazhi music festival moving into the digital space, caterers are drawing up new ideas to keep their business from suffering further losses
Margazhi menu in the making...

CHENNAI: For many, December may signify the end of a year, making them look back at the months gone by. For many Chennaiites, despite the decidedly colder nights and mist-filled mornings, it marks the start of kutcheris and cultural immersions.

‘Tis the Margazhi season, after all. While musical concerts, dance recitals and lecture demonstrations fill the programme list of all the sabhas, on the other hand are caterers whipping up delicacies for the rasikas — of food and performing arts.

Sabha canteens have become an inseparable part of the Margazhi music season. Decades ago, the sabhas just served goli soda and kalkandu to visitors. Over the years, caterers bagged contracts and doled out traditional treats with a twist.

But, with the pandemic in place, all the sabhas and caterers seem to have shifted gears this year. In August 2020, The Federation of Sabhas made a formal announcement that they were coming together to play host to the festival on a digital platform to ensure its continuity — much to the disappointment of rasikas.

For ardent sabhahoppers, this meant that they would be missing out on the many things they usually look forward to — sharing a friendly banter while gorging on pipinghot Mysore bondas and sipping aromatic filter coffee by their favourite caterers.

Like never before
With the global pandemic closing down cultural institutions, seasoned caterers have been deprived of their annual contracts at various sabhas in the city. As December is not a popular season for Hindu weddings, most caterers count on the Margazhi music seaon to keep their business going. But this year, that too seems like a far-fetched dream. For K Ramesh, owner of Sasthalaya Catering Service, the music festival is an opportunity for networking and nurturing friendship with patrons.

“If our presence is established to over 15,000 people through wedding catering, Margazhi takes our presence to over a lakh people who flock the sabhas from all over the world. It’s a huge publicity for us. We get more clients through word-ofmouth. This year, it’s a big blow for us in that aspect,” rues Ramesh, who has been setting up shop at Narada Gana Sabha for the past five years.

Scenes from previous years’ canteens
Scenes from previous years’ canteens

The two-week-long festival offers a respite for patrons from their home kitchens and the standard vegetarian menu served at restaurants. Starting as early as 7 am, canteens at various sabhas dole out the menu for breakfast, lunch, snack and evening tiffin. From betel leaf bajji and sweet potato vada to vegetable payasam — caterers unleash their culinary prowess.

Walking through a packed dining hall, watching his patrons asking for several rounds of their favourite dishes, gives K Srinivasan, son of veteran caterer ‘Mountbatten’ Mani Iyer, immense satisfaction. “I’ve already received calls, especially from Jain friends, as we don’t use onion or garlic, enquiring this year’s menu. There’s an overwhelming expectation that only keeps building every year.

My father has been in this business for 75 years and we’ve never taken a break. Patrons come to us for the ambience, and affection we shower on them. It’s not possible to replicate that with a takeaway or delivery option,” narrates Srinivasan, who has been catering at Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha for a decade.

Ready for rasikas
While the proverb ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ might be a cliché, it seems most caterers are going by this formula for the season. Looking at the number of requests he has been receiving, Srinivasan has decided not to give a break this year. He has gone an extra mile to ensure his patrons enjoy the annual affair. “I’m in talks for renting out a hall and I’m awaiting a positive response. Unlike sabha canteens, I can keep my kitchen open for as long as I want throughout the season.

We will be open for lunch, snacks and dinner. Patrons can drop by to eat or collect their parcels at the takeaway counter. The menu is yet to be finalised. All hygiene protocols will be strictly followed. I’m also in talks with a few players for food delivery,” he assures. Located at a proximal distance from most sabhas, and known for their in-house music concerts, Thaligai restaurant in Mylapore is also a hub for rasikas. This year too, Nalina Kannan is determined to offer her patrons an authentic Margazhi experience, as they can enjoy their food while immersing themselves in live-streamed concerts.

“We have tied up with young artistes for the annual concert. Instead of buffet, we will be offering a meal with a wide variety of healthy dishes. Our Margazhi theme, Amudhadhwani, will continue and the menu for the day will be designed based on a raga. For instance, if it’s raga Kamala Manohari, then variants such as lotus stem pakoda and lotus seed soup will be prepared. Food will be served on biodegradable plates and patrons are requested to bring their water bottles.

We can also deliver the food,” elaborates Nalina. But all is not lost for the players in this business. Revealing a unique, tentative concept for sabhas that come under the federation, Harishankar Krishnaswami, secretary of Narada Gana Sabha, says, “An exclusive set of caterers will be joining us. They will get to display their menu on a slide when we stream our concerts. Rasikas can order from them through delivery partners that we are in talks with.

About five caterers have expressed interest so far but we are open to anyone who wishes to collaborate. The list of caterers and their menu will be set by November 30.” All the caterers share a common sentiment — food, shelter, and clothing industry never go out of business, but the food industry is one of the most affected during the pandemic. As caterers go about doing some of their favourite things — setting up a comprehensive menu, doling out sumptuous food and serving loyal patrons — only time will tell how their plans will pan out.

Serving customers

  • Sasthalaya Catering Service: 9500028384
  • Sri Balaji Catering Service: 9840184546
  • Sastha Catering Service (Porur): 9840144561
  • Mountbatten Mani Iyer: 9840024400
  • Thaligai: 9791272888
  • Meenambiga Catering Service: 9841031513
  • Mint Padmanabhan: 9840033165
  • Sri Jayaraghavendra Catering: 9841016323
  • Gnanambiga Catering: 24861387

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