Nanjil Nadu · Eastern Coastal Plains
Jasmine, chrysanthemum and garland flowers, sold wholesale before dawn
Supplies temples and weddings on both sides of the Ghats. Prices are called by weight and change by the hour; by nine in the morning it is an empty shed.
Stone-set temple jewellery for dancers and for deities
Small family units working to order rather than a shopping street. The craft carries a geographical indication registered in 2007–08, so ask for the mark.
Seer, tuna, sardine and estuary crab straight off the boat
The boats come in through the morning. Buying at the landing rather than the market is the difference between fish caught last night and fish caught the night before.
Smallholder rubber sheet, and honey from the Ghats slope
The collection point for the whole midland's rubber. Marthandam has a long-standing reputation for honey, which is worth buying here and expensive everywhere else.
Clove, nutmeg, mace and pepper from the slope gardens
Kanniyakumari clove carries a geographical indication registered in 2021–22. Whole closed buds that rattle when dry are the ones to take.
Books and publications on the memorial and its background
The Kendra runs the memorial complex and its own publishing and rural-development work from the same campus.
Famous shops, markets and workshops in Nanjil Nadu, and what each is known for. (6)