The Aavin Ice-cream Parlor at Adyar shot into prominence during the mid 1970's and along with it came a lovely park and children play area. My mother along with her friends would bring me to this place on certain weekends and most importantly during the visit by any national leaders to Chennai who's convoy crossed this place en route to attend public gathering at Seerani Arangam in Marina Beach from Governor House (Raj Bhavan) where they stayed. Adyar of my younger days was a green sheltering space because of the lesser traffic and fewer people. Bicycles almost dominated the road space and one could count the number of cars, ironically if we look into the history of bicycles in Chennai these car sellers and manufactures were the ones who made initial forays into selling of imported bicycles and its spares. The Addisons was bought by Mr. Tom Luker in 1886 and imported bicycles, watches,clocks,books and fancy items for sale. In 1889 they opened their new showroom in Anna Salai and became the first company to import and sell pneumatic cycle tires before getting into Car sales and service or the eventual take over in 1942 by the Amalgamations group. In 1910's R.Nataraja Mudaliar closely relative of Pammal Sambandha Mudaliar (doyen of theater) started Watson and Co which sold imported bicycles from Britain before venturing into car dealership and film production. Be it for economic activity or leisure ride, in merry times as against the adverse days of Japanese attack on Chennai during 1942 bicycles always had takers in the city. There were few success stories associated with bicycles, Nalli Chinnaswami Chetty founder of the famous Nalli Silks started in 1928 visited his customers houses on a bicycle to collect the monthly installment payments or the luxury Hotel Ambica Empire in Vadapalani proclaims that its founding owner a native of Eluru (AP) made daily errands across streets of the city on bicycle selling its branded Agarbathie's in mid 1940's. Cycling on the city roads to some was a joy since there was hardly any traffic and one could continuously ride without stopping, the Marina Beach of 1940's for few meant mobile canteen, the music band, horse riding and cycling till the Iron Bridge. The 1950's saw the emergence of TI Cycles Ltd, we shall look into this along with the history of bicycle as a sport in Tamilnadu during 1970's on another occasion but for now lets move on, since mid 1980's with the growth in automobile industry, the aspiring middle class disregard to cycling and lack of safety for cyclist brought about decline of bicycling in Chennai. A survey by the CCTS indicate that number of person trips using bicycles had come down from a healthy 20% in 1970's to 6% in 2008 the prime reason being facilities provided to cyclist being grossly inadequate. But things are changing for good since late 2000's there has been growth in cycling across Chennai with many combining it as a physical and leisure activity going by the statics of high end bicycle sales. For now I conclude this rhetoric with a note on bicycle in Chennai by the greatest film director of our times as told to Sudhish Kamath. Till next time.
"In the night, if spotted a policeman, I would get off and walk along my bicycle, my cycle did'nt have a Dynamo.
I would get back on the seat only when he's out of sight
One day the Policeman laughed at me
Out of habit, I had got off even during daytime"
- Film Director K. Balachander
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| Film Director K.Balachander (Pic: The Hindu) |
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