J for Jannal

Jannal means 'window' in Tamil, the local language of Chennai. I must attempt to use more Tamil words in my post; will help improve my limited knowledge of this wonderful language. Did use a few words in the very first post on alphabet A as well as on alphabet G.

The word 'Jannal' is also used in a few other Indian languages, with slight variations. Apparently, it is also a Portuguese word. The Portuguese invasion of India saw a lot of our coastal regions adapt to Portuguese influence in the local lingo, food, customs and traditions. 

There is an old and well-known street side eatery in Mylapore, a suburb and older part of this city, rich in culture and heritage. The name of this eatery is 'Jannal Kadai' meaning 'Window Shop'. Customers actually stand outside a tiny window by the roadside and order food through it, eat and leave. Mostly finger foods and snacks are served here. The dishes are what are popularly known as 'tiffin items'. The oft-ordered ones are Jannal Kadai's super soft idlis (steamed rice cakes), bondas & bajjis (fried potato balls and stuffed fritters) that are crisp on the outside with soft and spicy filling on the inside. The wealthy as well as the not-so-well-off people of the city haunt this joint in equal measure, particularly for their special chutney. Food that is quick and very reasonably priced, Jannal Kadai is total value for money or VFM, to satisfy one's craving for simple and healthy South Indian food.

On another note, the other day I saw this beautiful photograph which made me think of the word 'jannal' or window as a metaphor. Especially the sunlight streaming through that beautiful artistic window.

#atozchallenge

Life can weigh us down at times (as can impromptu blogging challenges that one joins impulsively). Yet we ought to never fail to look out the window and enjoy the sunshine, or even the rains. No matter what, we keep going ahead. Keep your 'jannal' clean and bright and look at the world with positive light. Or sometimes, we need to let the sunshine in, into our lives, as shown in the picture. Open our hearts, be fearless, and embrace life in all its glory. 

Love this quote: "If a window of opportunity appears, don't pull down the shade" - Tom Peters.

This blog post is part of the A to Z Challenge. This challenge involves writing a blog post on any topic/theme in the order of the alphabets from A-Z. The blog posts have to be written each day through the entire month of April, excluding Sundays.

My chosen theme is the city of Chennai - sights, sounds, tastes, its happenings, events, and my memories and experiences connected with this place.