The man behind Jannal Kadai dies

If one peeked inside, we could see Ramesh or his brother Chandrashekaran, sitting on a slab surrounded by bowls of piping hot bajjis, bondas, vadais and idlies.
Sivaramakrishnan, alias Ramesh  | facebook
Sivaramakrishnan, alias Ramesh | facebook

CHENNAI: For many, a visit to Mylapore is synonymous with a pit stop at the iconic ‘Jannal Kadai’ to munch on the lip-smacking bajji. The shop that operates out of a tiny blue window (jannal) on Ponnambala Vathiyar Street near the East Gate of the Kapaleeshwar Temple, has been a landmark in Mylapore for over a decade now.Sunday marked a sad day for Chennaites, as one of the two familiar faces behind the window, Sivaramakrishnan alias Ramesh breathed his last. The 58-year-old man succumbed to Covid-19, his family told Express. At the time of his death, the family was, however, unaware of the reason.

An unkempt queue, smell of deep-fried food, crowd gobbling snacks and the grilled blue window were the only way to locate the shop which bears no name board. Over the years, the iconic dish gained tickled the palate of temple-goers and residents of the area, thus getting the name ‘Jannal Kadai Bajji’.

If one peeked inside, we could see Ramesh or his brother Chandrashekaran, sitting on a slab surrounded by bowls of piping hot bajjis, bondas, vadais and idlies. All conversations meant business to Ramesh. His bajjis spoke volumes for him. The bajji was light, crispy, warm and bright orange in colour.Jannal Kadai was also an integral part of most street-food walks in the city. There are hundreds of videos from food bloggers available online. Sridhar Venkataraman, who has conducted food walks in Mylapore since 2012, said Jannal Kadai has always been a part of his tour.

“The shop was part of growing up for many in Mylapore and I realised that many from outside had not tried it. The walks made the shop more famous,” said Venkataraman adding that Ramesh was stern to the staff but kind to poor. “I have seen him offer free food to the poor on many occasions. Even those who paid for the food always found it moderately priced,” he said.

Baskar Seshadri, a social activist and a resident of Mylapore, told Express that he will miss Ramesh dearly. “I have been eating at the shop for last 15 years. I used to be terrified of eating street food but made an exception for this place,” he said. He added that he visited the shop a mere two or three weeks ago even as he felt nostalgic for the food. “I have arthritis and cannot stand for long. Despite this, I used to wait for bajji and munch it on,” he said.

Ramesh had diabetes and was admitted to a private hospital last week after he fell sick. He was later moved to a government hospital where he was being treated until Sunday. After his demise,his Covid-19 tests returned positive.Speaking to Express, a family member said the iconic window will not shut. “Even as many people recognise Shivaraman, the shop is registered under Chandrashekaran - his brother.  Give us a month and we will be back to business. The shop will sell food that tastes the same,” the family member said.

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