CHENNAI: The streets around the Kapaleeshwar temple are cheerier than ever as the Sundaram Finance Mylapore Festival neared its end on Sunday.

In a gesture to cement the essence of the festival, Sundaram Finance has been rewarding those who keep the culture of the neighbourhood alive and work for its upliftment, through their ‘Spirit of Mylapore’ award.

This year, the award was presented to Sri Vidhya Nilayam, a store that has been selling authentic and good-quality puja products, including kumkum, vibhoothi, sandal powder, and turmeric, among other things. The reward of Rs 10,001 was presented to the proprietor, S Vijayakumari, and her two sons, who have been looking after the business. 

Located on North Mada Street, Sri Vidhya Nilalyam was founded in 1954 by Venkata Subramaniam, Vijayakumari’s husband’s grandfather. The store has seen customers from all across the world, who come seeking the best quality ‘kumkum’ and other such products. 

Lakshmanan, who now oversees the store, says the moment of recognition has been gratifying for someone who is a common man. Talking about his line of work, he says, “We wanted to keep the legacy of our parents alive through this work; somebody had to take over,” he says. “The major challenge, however, remains to fight the adulteration in the industry.”

The festival came to a close with a high-spirited crowd clustering in, to be part of the celebration before it parted ways to return next year.