The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam attracts devotees through the year. For many, the trip is incomplete without purchasing an iron utensil or other that are sold inside the temple premises. However, with the lockdown affecting sales, the vendors are pinning their hopes on Deepavali and subsequent festive occasions to earn a living.
The business of dosa kallu, appakadai, cast iron pans, paniyaram tawa and even murukku kozhai is at least a century old, said R.S. Selvaraj, who owns one of the two shops selling the heavy utensils in the temple. "There used to be five shops, but now, we are down to two. Our customers come from across the country and even the world. Popular actors, politicians too, have our pans at home," he said proudly.
The weight of the dosa kallu determines its quality, Mr. Selvaraj's son S. Prabahar said, as he dropped one to the ground, making a loud noise. "It will make no dents or marks and will last a lifetime," he said. The centre of the kallu is marked with a hammer, after which concentric circles are drawn using a compass. Once the size of the kallu is determined, the edges are cut, and the edges smoothened, all by hand. The pans range from ₹ 250 - 1000, depending upon the size and weight.
"My son studies in London while some relatives also reside there. Every trip we make to the country, I make sure to purchase two or three dosa kallu for them. They gift it to other Indian families while also relishing the dosas made on it," said Shanthi Giridhar, a resident of Srirangam.
There are no chemical coatings, which makes them not only safe, but also good for the body because they indirectly add iron to the diet," Mr. Prabahar said. “We have patrons, but the lockdown has affected our business. With the number of devotees entering the temple significantly low, we are unable to get new customers,” he said.
For six months, the shops remained closed and business was rare said M. Saravanan, who owns the other iron vessel shop. While the state and central government began to ease the lockdown in May, the shop owners had to wait till the temple premises opened and necessary permissions were sanctioned for the stores to open. The shop owners approached the District Collector, who granted permission only a fortnight ago, he said.
We are hoping to make good sales ahead of Deepavali, said Mr. Saravanan. "Tourists will arrive in the upcoming months including Margazhi and up to Pongal. We hope that we are able to make up for the months we were unable to earn anything," he said.