CHENNAI: The arch of the Seniyamman Koil in Tondiarpet overlooked the Monday afternoon rush on the road as I witnessed the same phenomenon inside the Snegidhi mess that stands directly opposite to it. Surrounded by vats of ample meen kuzhambu, rice, boiled eggs and fish fry, Mahalakshmi the owner packed the lunch meals in swift but well-practised motions to meet the frequent demand spilling in from the neighbourhood.
She had been there since 5.30 am, preparing idli, dosa, urulaikilangu masala, chutney and more, and has followed this timeline for two weeks, ever since the inauguration of the mess on September 15. But the crowd that day which seemed blooming to me was actually a lean one, she informs.
“The neighbourhood employees are on leave today and thus, it is slow-moving. The customers say our food is really good and have mentioned that they prefer it to other establishments because of the taste and low prices. We charge only `40 for a meal (vegetarian or non-vegetarian), Rs 10 for dosa, Rs 20 for puri and so on. People ask me why the prices are so cheap but I am only one person with no family to provide. I just want to make good food,” said Mahalakshmi, fondly known as Mahama.
Carrying her story
The store begins its operations at 7.30 am, serving breakfast items till 11 am, when she begins her work for lunch that is served upto 3.30 pm-4 pm some days. Her cooking chops are a result of years of interest, since the age of 15, when she would enjoy the delicious food her mother made. But raised in a vegetarian household, Mahama came to learn and love non-vegetarian food from her other family in Mumbai.
“I was in class 7 when a trans person suggested that I come with them to Bombay, where I could dress up (and live like a woman). I couldn’t share that I wanted to live like a woman with my mother so without informing her, I left my hometown of Dindigul. In Bombay, I had my (sex change) operation and it was there that my akkas and amma taught me how to make non-vegetarian food,” she explained.
The mess brings together the culinary history of both her families, having learned vegetarian food sambar, avial, poriyal and more from her amma and the fish and chicken recipes from her amma in the trans community.
But this isn’t Mahama’s first stint in the culinary business. Ever since she returned to Chennai some 20 years ago, she has established another mess (run by another person from whom she receives a certain cut of the profit, as she pays rent for the store) and a business selling sandwiches and chaat items, run by a salaried employee. In the future, she hopes to expand Snegidhi Mess (currently a petite store with only kitchen equipment) to have a seating arrangement and wishes to serve senior citizens with her food.
Helping hands
Mahalakshmi established this endeavour with the help of YMCA and Snegithi, an organisation working towards welfare of trans people, after which the mess is named. “We have been partnering with Snegithi and helping financially to work with the trans community and the Government. Every month we have a review meeting and during one recently, we happened to meet Mahama. She had a mess at home and had been serving locals to earn money. She requested a shop in a general public area and on her request, we helped provide kitchen equipment for the same. A lot of people have benefitted from this as she charges low prices for non-vegetarian and vegetarian food for the locals,” said Asir Pandian, the general secretary of YMCA Madras.
It is not only the organisations that have lent a hand, but also the locals who are patroning and promoting the food to Mahama’s pleasant surprise.
“In Royapettah, there is a church, from where a Father (priest) and his wife had come to give us their blessing. He also told the churchgoers to visit the mess and we have gained a few customers from them. This has been a very big help, he need not have said it but for a (priest) to have said this is a very big deal,” she added.
There is still more to be done, nonetheless, as Asir mentions that there is often societal stigma present and even family members tend to desert trans people.
“This was a small step to provide for the mess. We also help them receive benefits from the Government and were recently informed that the trans community has asked for computer training centres. Beyond this, we also plan to have job melas and are talking to companies to help them hire the trans community. Small businesses will definitely help them stand individually in society and is a boon for them,” he shared.
So, times are changing, even if at a snail’s pace. Over the years, Mahama has seen the flourishing of the trans community, something that was not the case 20 years ago.
“Now there are trans people driving autos, painting murals for the Metro, one is a police person, another a lawyer, another a nurse and also a doctor. Trans people have been flourishing in various ways over the years,” she noted. Here’s hoping for the support to extend moving forward.
Address: Snegidhi Mess, Tondiarpet Manigundu, near the Police Station, opposite Seniyamman Koil.