Theagaraya Nagar, popularly known as T. Nagar, is one of the busiest shopping destinations not only
for the city of Chennai, but
also the whole of south India. On a typical weekend, the number of people who
move about on Pondy Bazaar, the suburb's principal commercial area, might soar
up to 500,000. During festival season, this number might reach 2 million.
Even on a lean day, about 200,000 pedestrians traverse the roads around Panagal
Park, the central part of the neighborhood.
T. Nagar is also considered as the biggest shopping district in
India by revenue. According to the estimates, the shops in T.Nagar together
account for revenues of nearly Rs. 200,000 million
annually, which is double that of New
Delhi's Connaught Place and Mumbai's Linking Road which account for about Rs. 40,000 to 60,000
million annually. About 70 to 80 percent of the gold sold in Chennai is from this place.
This 6 km-long stretch is full of
big brand establishment’s side-by-side smaller and petty shops that sell all
sorts of household goods and garments. Wardrobes stores like Nalli, Pothys, Raymond, Garden Vareli, RmKV, Kumaran Silks and The
Chennai Silks have their showrooms in Theagarya Nagar. Retail giant Saravana Stores has a wardrobe
showroom and an utensils showroom in T.Nagar. India’s largest retailer Kishore Biyani of Future Group says "It's the
mecca of retail".
The town was named after Justice
Party leader Sir P. Theagaraya
Chetty.