Thursday, July 3, 2008

Something more than 'very fine'?

When this sign came up outside a house on Chittaranjan Road, it seemed like someone had started a part-time business from a garage. Within a couple of days, the same sign was outside a shop on Eldams Road - now it looked like they meant business! But expanding so quickly?

Discovered later that M'zuri Sana - the internet tells me it means 'very fine', but I'm sure I was given a different (and better sounding) interpretation of this Swahili phrase at the store - is a chain founded by a person from Jodhpur, with stores in many cities. That was surprising, but more surprising was the variety of merchandise that was on display, from lampshades to garments. Quite a nice range to look at - and the people at the store let you take your time.

I will be back there soon, even though I have a crib about the store. With a name like M'zuri Sana, one walks in expecting to take back something distinctly African. But every one of the items is robustly Indian in design - and all of them have been crafted at M'zuri Sana's Jodhpur workshops!


8 comments:

magiceye said...

looks like a restaurant entrance :)

Anush said...

say, u carry around ur digicam? or is this from a cell? :-)

and how do i pronounce the name?

Kris McCracken said...

So do they sell all sorts of things?

Shantaram said...

>> Magiceye>> Hmmm, yes. But they'd have had a different name. Cuisine from Africa is yet to make a mark in Chennai... how about Mumbai?

>> CB>> Yes, I do carry around my camera. And you pronounce the name - with a lot of difficulty!

>> Kris>> Quite a range - enough for the wife to want more return trips.

Ming the Merciless said...

Be it African or Indian, the orange color makes it a very inviting looking store.

Shantaram said...

>> Ming>> Yes, it sure does. (Not that I need too much invitation now, anyway) :)

Hilda said...

Mmmm… sounds like my kind of store!

Shantaram said...

>> Hilda>> Am sure you won't come away from it soon!