Every morning, South Mada Street at Mylapore lights up with stark greens lining the lane. Among them stands Chithra Selvakumar, her hands deftly tearing banana leaves from a fresh bundle, ready to supply them to nearby hotels. For over two decades, this has been her routine. “Our banana leaves come from Thanjavur. The moment the leaves arrive, I start cutting them, because we usually send out five bundles of 100 leaves each to every hotel,” she says.
Have you anticipated the arrival of festivals for the joy of feasting on a banana leaf? For Ms. Chithra, the anticipation means something more. “During festivals, I spend most of the day at the shop, but eagerly wait for them because they’re great days for sales,” she says.
Growing up with the trade
The greens continue down the lane, where another banana leaf shop is busy on a Monday evening. S. Siva, who has been working in this third-generation family shop for 50 years, doesn’t miss a beat as he cuts and sorts the banana leaves with practised ease.
“I have grown up with vaazhai elai. I arrive sharp at 7 a.m. and don’t leave until 8 p.m., sometimes even 10 p.m.,” says Siva. The shop, where Siva works, belongs to Khader A. Mr. Khader returns just in time from delivering the bundle to the hotels.
“We source our banana leaves from Madurai, and we cut them into circles and squares for hotels. We have even customised them into boxes once or twice,” says Mr. Khader.
He also speaks about the shift toward sustainability in markets abroad, explaining how banana leaves are used as eco-friendly packaging in Thailand and other countries, moving away from plastic wrappers. “It is not about making a living through this business, but it is good to be part of something that promotes sustainability too,” he adds.
One leaf for different purpose
With fifty years of experience, Mr. Siva tears the stash of banana leaves in the blink of an eye and shows how the leaves are used for different purposes. “Thalai vazhai elai for weddings only, saapad elai for hotels,” he says.
He has already cut the leaves into circles by morning, and each cover has at least 200 leaves set aside for the hotels. “This is our routine, but extra work starts during the wedding season. It is our season too,” he smirks.
The work is more than just cutting, bundling, and delivering the banana leaves; it is a lifeline for Ms. Chithra. “My husband and I run this shop, but our children study in Thanjavur. We can barely manage ourselves here; most days, we eat food from outside because there’s no time,” she admits. Despite the challenges, she remains determined. “This business helps us pay for our children’s education. That’s why, we keep going.”
Published - November 24, 2024 10:39 pm IST
