A teeming multitude of people,
grandfathers to infants
bawling on mothers' shoulders,
Gathered as for a temple festival
Swarming the whole street,
causing chaotic traffic on three others,
Shops, some high as temple gopuras,
some as small as road-side alcoves,
beckon these devotees,
decked with small glowing lights and
'Sale' and 'Grand Reduction' boards
that are standard features every day of the year,
Tempting them with everything from
silks to cotton, to toys and trinkets,
mannequins in window-dressings,
small boys sell TV remote-guards and naphthalene balls,
One-hour tailors make life easy
for the busy and the impatient,
Refreshment stalls with fruit juices
and samosas and popcorn and coffee,
a sure stop for contented shoppers,
Where do they all come from?
They get into autos and go where?
Ranganathan Street
provides total entertainment for
the whole family, the whole evening,
all round the year.