The history
Sitting cross-legged on his wooden bench, Thennavan speaks fondly of his horse- and-buggy-on-hire business. It is 141 years old; he inherited it from his family and has been running it for 35-odd years. He has 15 horses, 30 ready-to-hire buggies and employs 20 people to run the stables. “I am the only one in this ‘chariot’ business in Chennai,” he says, talking above the din of traffic on Poonamallee Road. With four magnificent horses to his left and several painted carriages to his right, he looks a bit of a king talking to his court. He continues: Bodyguard Muneeswaran Koil got its name from the bodyguards’ horses that stood at a gate nearby, and Kodambakkam is named after Godabagh (garden of horses) near the railway station.
His stables are spread across the city — opposite Ripon Building, Pulianthope, Pallavan Nagar and a godown in Red Hills. His star is the magnificent black-and-white horse, Raja.
Diverse clientèle
Thennavan’s dad catered only to the VIPs, but now, the majestic two-horse carriages (with a hood or umbrella for shade) are hired for bridegrooms, just-married couples and children who’ve had their ears pierced. Politicians, religious leaders and sportsmen have got atop them for ceremonial processions. Remember Vishy Anand’s triumphant ride from the airport to Besant Nagar?
He even got to send a horse to the Ambani-Birla wedding some years ago. Without realising who the clients were, he decorated his horses as always. “As a gift, I was sent a jewellery set,” recalls Thennavan, as he decks up handsome Iyyappan in new drapes and ornaments.
Looking after the stars
The horses, all belonging to the Kathiawari breed, have appeared in several movies. Caring for them is major work. The horses, brought in from Delhi and Punjab, are comfortable eating horsegram, grass and bran. They look well-fed and groomed and stand on clean, dry floors. When it rains, hay is spread to keep the floor dry and soft for the animals to rest. A borewell provides clean water. Minor illnesses are treated with siddha medicine. For lingering ones, they visit a vet.
Chariots on fire
The chariots (‘paddy’ or ‘phaeton vandi’) have their own story. The chassis, moulded in iron, were made by Simpsons, the company that specialises in public-service vehicles. Thennavan shows off one marked London. He has a few from Mumbai too. The wooden super-structure is decorated with colours and drawings to attract attention. Some are resplendent with embedded mirrors, allowing riders to see a thousand reflections of themselves during processions. The chariots are all in good shape. He charges Rs. 5,000 for three hours in the city. The chariots have even been to Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh.
Tales to remember
The best tales are about who has travelled aboard the regal chariots. And, Thennavan has a long list. “Advani was driven in my carriage to inaugurate a power station. Weightlifter Malleswari rode one to be the chief guest at an Anna Nagar School. Viswanathan Anand has been taken in my carriages twice. His chariot was drawn by two horses, and four horsemen carrying lances rode ahead. Vaiko has been on my carriages several times. Vani Jayaram was honoured with an open-carriage procession,” he reels off.
The horses in Neerum Neruppum (MGR in a dual role, Captain Prabhakaran , Vikram-starrer Deiva Thirumagal and Romapuri Pandian are from Thennavan’s stables. As we speak, a horse heads out to join the shoot of Jeeva’s SangiliBungili Kadhava Thorae .
