Chennai’s iconic annual fair at Island Grounds turns 50

The lights, colours and flavours of the India Tourism and Industrial Fair (Sutrula Porutkatchi) at Island Grounds successful Chennai, are thing that galore 50-plus folks successful the metropolis retrieve with large happiness and warmth. A precursor to the malls, it utilized to beryllium a spot wherever families could walk clip together, enjoying walking connected the brushed soil with the oversea breeze from the adjacent Bay of Bengal and munching connected the large pappads and chilli bajjis.

The 70-day-long India Tourism and Industrial Fair that began with large fanfare astatine the Island Grounds successful the metropolis recently turned 50 this year. It was conceived and named by erstwhile Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. 

K.C. Indhirani, a nonmigratory of Kotturpuram recalled the days erstwhile her household would spell to bargain room appliances similar state lighters and vegetables cutters astatine the commercialized fair, arsenic it is popularly called. “We would eagerly sojourn the accumulation to look astatine the caller appliances launched that year. There utilized to beryllium a artifact bid giving ticketed rides to children and adults. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments stall would service yummy prasadam. The elephantine appalam stall from Delhi was a large attraction for children. When we utilized to bargain unfried appalam for usage astatine home, it would not travel retired arsenic large oregon arsenic tasty. It’s been a portion since I went,” she said. 

This just began successful the metropolis successful 1974 arsenic the ‘Pongal Tourist Trade Fair.’ That year, according to The Hindu, the just had featured a emblematic agrarian country with a temple, huts and a meandering canal; an amusement park, a mini zoo, a buying arcade; stalls by Central and State authorities departments, Air India, Coffee Board, Cooptex and Housing Board. At the valedictory lawsuit held successful February, Karunanidhi had suggested that imperishable tourer fairs beryllium held successful the metropolis and the districts. 

In 1989, Karunanidhi gave the just its contiguous name. Speaking during the inauguration that twelvemonth astatine Island Grounds, helium said the just has tourism and acquisition values and was a root of amusement for the poor. Tourism had a bully imaginable for generating income to governments, and successful different countries the income formed a ample information of the economy. That year, the taxable of the just was ‘350 years of Madras - its root and growth’ and the Madras Corporation had enactment up a facade astatine the entranceway to people the occasion. Photographs depicting the maturation of the metropolis had been enactment up astatine the fair. There were 200 stalls including 23 authorities departments, 5 Central authorities organisations too stalls representing Assam, Bihar, Kashmir, Gujarat, Orissa (now Odisha). 

Former Tourism section authoritative N. Ravi, recalled however precocious Minister R.M. Veerappan would sojourn the just astatine 2 a.m. and guarantee that the enactment was progressing well.

Island Grounds utilized to beryllium to the Ministry of Defence but it was aboriginal transferred to Tamil Nadu authorities successful the 1980s. “It was a 6.5 acre portion of onshore astatine a premier location. The just utilized to beryllium a spot for radical to store for clothes, room appliances and toys astatine affordable prices. We utilized to person a imperishable railway booking office. Events similar horticulture shows, canine shows by Madras Kennel Club, publication accumulation with 100 stalls, nutrient just successful which prima class hotels participated, and amusement programmes with movie stars utilized to beryllium held. Prizes utilized to beryllium fixed to champion stalls and nutrient entries. Earlier, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation utilized to organise the full show, but present it is being organised by a backstage contractor connected a profit-sharing basis,” helium explained. 

In 1982, during a nutrient just held arsenic portion of the commercialized fair, a Chettinad speciality, Kothamalli Kashayam got the prize for being the champion nutritious nutrient astatine debased cost! In that period, nary item, adjacent the tandoori chickenhearted outgo much than ₹3. Local ladies clubs and the Institute of Catering and Applied Nutrition excessively took portion that twelvemonth and fashionable dishes from each implicit the state were made disposable astatine affordable prices. 

The just had its stock of scares too. In the twelvemonth 1982, a occurrence broke retired and 5 pavilions of the railways, Civil Supplies Corporation, Cooptex, Central and State Warehousing corporations and a fewer stalls were gutted. It took astir 100 firemen and 17 h2o lorries to enactment retired the blaze that shook the owners of handloom stalls whose wares were burnt. 

Former Commissioner and Managing Director of Tourism C.P. Singh recalls however the accumulation utilized to beryllium theme-based alternatively of conscionable having photos. It utilized to beryllium precise educative and entertaining astatine the aforesaid time. Back successful those days, ‘Enchanting Tamil Nadu’ was our tagline and our unsocial selling constituent (USP) utilized to beryllium temples and societal harmony. Since Tamil Nadu utilized to be, and is still, acold up successful developmental goals, the stalls focussed connected girls education, higher and method education, wellness tourism, however railways person contributed and truthful on. People utilized to bargain a batch of worldly from the Cooptex stall. We utilized to merchantability items similar brass from Swamimalai and Arani sarees.” 

In the contiguous form, the just has 43 stalls showcasing the projects and functioning of assorted State authorities departments and corporations, 2 Central authorities organisations and besides has attractions similar elephantine instrumentality and a 3D amusement for children. Special buses are besides tally to the fair.