Kathiravan Gens Beauty Parlour

Kathiravan Gens Beauty Parlour is on Saravanaperumal Street in Purasawalkam. We are at number 89, which is very close to the Gangadeeswarar Temple. You can actually smell the incense and hear the temple bells from our doorway every morning and evening. It’s a nice way to start the day. Purasawalkam is a very busy part of Chennai, so there is always a lot of traffic and people rushing around to the shops. Our place is quite plain. We have a few mirrors and the usual chairs for the men to sit in. We don't do anything fancy, just the basics like haircuts and shaves. Most of our regulars have been coming to us for many years. They know exactly where to sit and they don’t even have to tell us what they want anymore. We talk about the local news or what’s happening at the temple during festivals. The floor is a bit worn out from all the walking, but it’s clean enough. We keep a bucket of water ready in case the tap runs slow during the afternoon. The heat can be a lot sometimes, so we keep the fan on full blast to stay cool. It’s a small business, run by just a couple of us. We aren't trying to be anything we’re not. It’s just a place for the local men to get cleaned up and have a bit of a chat and maybe a cup of tea.