From swaras and rasas to sambars and rasams: Has the Margazhi music season now turned into a festival for foodies?

During the entire December music season, if we keep the average price of a ticket at 250, concerts bring in just over ₹1.3 crore at Chennai sabhas. Meanwhile, food at sabha canteens brings in ₹6 crore! Concert ticket sales are nowhere near canteen sales; people from various parts of the city think there is a food festival going on and dine at the canteens,” shared historian and secretary of The Music Academy V Sriram in his recent speech on the topic ‘The Economics Of The Season’.

Over the years, sabha canteen food has become one of the highlights of the Margazhi music season that not only attracts rasikas, but foodies as well. Caterers have been cashing in on the hype by offering an array of delectable dishes throughout the day. In fact, one caterer, Mountbatten Mani Iyer Catering, headed by K Srinivasan, has started holding a Margazhi Mahotsavam Food Kutcheri, which happens not in a sabha but in a wedding hall!

One season, close to 200 dishesOver the years, the range of dishes that are being offered has only expanded. If rasikas get to enjoy around 60 dishes at Sri Sasthalaya Catering’s canteen at Narada Gana Sabha, Mountbatten is serving close to 200 dishes this year, informs a member from its catering team.

While the breakfast menu includes everything from the regular idlis and dosais to not-so-common kavuni arisi idiyappam with thengai paal and Kumbakonam kadappa, evening snacks range from the nombu adai, ammini kozhukattai to items like apple and pineapple bajjis. And fusion dishes like pizza dosai make up the dinner menu. Then there are the sweets, such as Kasi halwa, Ashoka halwa, gulkand halwa, kova jangiri and akkaravadisal.

KALYANA SAMAYAL SAADHAM!But the highlight remains the Kalyana Saapaadu that forms the lunch menu. “Our lunch meal has around 20 dishes, like cheppankizhangu roast, vazhaipoo vadai, and pineapple rasam, all of which are served on a banana leaf. And on New Year’s Day, there is a special lunch with more dishes on the menu,” says RK Venkatesan, whose Sastha Catering Services has been serving food during the season at The Music Academy for the past eight years.

“Our elai saapaadu has 25 items, including a payasam, pachadi, kootu, kalandha sadham, and more. We make sure that the dishes served on any given day do not repeat for the duration of the season,” states Saptarishi, who runs ABC Catering Services at Mylapore Fine Arts Club.

“I tried the food served by Arusuvai Arasu Caterers at Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha. While nothing seemed really exclusive, the dishes were delicious nonetheless. I had gone there during a weekday, and the place was packed,” shares Preethi Udhayaraja, a dentist.

OVERPRICED, OVERHYPED?However, not all foodies are in awe of sabha canteens and their food. Over the past couple of years, the pricing of the meals — the Kalyana Saapaadu begins at ₹350 and goes up to even ₹600 — has become a point of discussion on social media. RS Kumar, the managing director of Sattvaa Catering, which has canteens at four sabhas this year, says footfalls have been very encouraging this year, thanks to their leaf meal costing ₹350. “We are serving over 600 leaf meals during lunch alone every day. We introduce new items every day as our aim is to make people happy. As a result, about 60 per cent of our diners have been people who come from outside with the only intention to taste our food,” he says.

And some, like stylist Ratikha Venugopal, express disappointment at the food on offer this year. “I understand that food at sabha canteens is expensive, but I came away disappointed as the caterer served Kerala-style food during Margazhi season in Chennai. I don’t see the point in that. I wanted to try a proper Tamil kalyana virundhu,” she explains.

She also brings up another important, but often overlooked, point. “The canteen got overcrowded pretty quickly, and there was no waiting area or any amenities. Also, some caterers still do not post their menu online. So, you get to know the menu only when you’ve reached the canteen, and you eat what they serve,” she points out.

Written By: Praveen Kumar S