CHENNAI: Diagonally opposite to the historic Ripon Building on Poonamallee High Road stands another landmark, largely oblivious to the world vrooming past. This place instantly transforms you to an era bygone, the last rudiments of which could be seen on the roads of Chennai only on occasions.Squatted between the century-old chariots and young horses, TR Thennavan, a horse supplier to various ceremonies, talks to four elders from a remote hamlet near Mailam in Villupuram district.Holding up a diary, he says, “Our horse-drawn chariots frequent the marriage halls in Puducherry. So, we would be ready with the decorated horse-drawn chariot two hours before the marriage procession starts, to avoid tension.”Satisfied with the response, the villagers pay an advance for August 31, vacating the chairs for the next marriage party from Velachery, who are waiting to book a chariot for another marriage reception.“Our horses have touched almost all the streets in Chennai, carrying top politicians, sports stars and newly wedded couples,” Thennavan claims, taking a short break before attending to the next customer in line.With the marriage season around the corner, horse suppliers in the city are on high demand, as the tradition of taking the wedding couple on a horse-drawn chariot procession, is catching up among people from all walks of life.Considered prestigious, horse-drawn chariots have always been a part of elite marriages. Of late, the middle class too has formed a liking for this traditional vehicle, says Thennavan.Another horse supplier in Mandaveli, Govindarajan, who is a familiar face in the celluloid world, explains the reasons for the new trend. According to him, horse-drawn chariots were rare in Chennai till the last decade. “But, attracted by the chariots in grand wedding ceremonies, some people with moderate incomes too make it a point to include chariots as part of their family marriages,” he added. However, the horse suppliers don’t hesitate to reduce the tariff, when it comes to the families hailing from humble backgrounds, if the chariots are available on their preferred dates.Apart from the chariots, there are varieties of other services, like band, music troupe and lighting, that horse suppliers like Thennavan and Govindarajan offer. “The cost depends on the requirements of the customers. If they want a music troupe that would accompany the chariot, we charge extra, since singers have to be hired for the purpose,” Thennavan notes. The rent for hiring horse-drawn chariots starts from a few thousand rupees and goes up, depending on the distance of the marriage venue.Interestingly, Chennai-based chariots even cross the borders to deck up weddings in places as far as Pulivendula — the assembly segment that made headlines after the wife of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Late YS Rajasekara Reddy, won a by-election with record margin. He also gets orders from Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, Kumbakonam and even Kerala.
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