Tuesday - ராஜா அண்ணா கடை

Any young girl who lives in Perambur would've definitely been to this shop at least once. Sandwiched between Chandra book stores and a Meat shop right now, Raja stores used to be sandwiched between Chandra stores and an oil shop years ago(Right opposite to its present location. They still use the old shop also). Started as one extremely kutti பொட்டி கடை(mind you, it is still kutti) , ராஜா அண்ணா கடை became very popular in a very short period of time for its cheap and best junk jewelry. Everytime my friends and I went that side, we couldn't resist taking a peek into that shop(It was always crowded) and once we took that peek, we couldn't resist buying something. It was always those 5 rupee ear-rings or bands or clips. At one stage, whenever anybody asked me about my accessory, my answer always was "அஞ்சு ரூபா...ராஜா அண்ணா கடைல வாங்கினது" and thus spread the fame of that store. When I got a ear-ring, Jaya went in to get the same ear-ring. Then Bhuvana did. Then her sisters did. Their friends did. Our schoolmates did. Or we used to buy them for our schoolmates. And so the story goes...
After joining MOP, whenever the girls sold accessories as part of their curriculum, or during the bazaar, I used to take a glance and go, "ராஜா அண்ணா கடைல இதுல பாதி விலைக்கு கிடைக்கும்...தேவையே இல்ல". And when the girls dropped in one day, they realized it was true.

What makes the store click?

• The way they talk. Do you have this? No, but we have this. This is the best.
• I go in. Vedha...how are you?
• அண்ணா, 15 rupees. idhu too much. சரி மா...உனக்காக10ருபாய்க்குதரேன் எடுத்துக்கோ.
• And the variety and price of course

My sister who comes in from Bangalore does her shopping everytime in here. Perambur's answer to Pondy Bazaar/Parrys/Sowcarpet roadside stores - Raja Stores :-D

You can find this place in Paddy Field Road, just after the turning to Selva Vinayagar Koil Street, and like I said, diagonally opposite to the all-famous-lazy-shopkeepers-owned Chandra stores.