Sagar Vihar built on Marina Beach closed after 40 years

For more than four decades, tourists visiting Marina beach have drawn a line for Sagar Vihar’s trademark rotis, chaats and samosas. From its quiet corner near the lighthouse, a soothing aroma was heard from the people. Today however, it is only a memory, as the building has been demolished for the corridor of the Chennai Metro Rail project that will connect the marina to Poonamallee. The restaurant was run by Jayakumar Parikh and his wife Sushila, who also have a chaat outlet at Vumidiars Complex on Anna Salai.

Parikh ran the business by Marina for more than 40 years, consistently gaining a customer base that came not only for the food, but also for the setting.

His first venture was the Bombay Bhelpuri Center at Anna Salai. Sushila remembers how she once offered bhel, masala and pani puri to the daughter of Sudhakar Chettiar, the owner of the building. “He liked it and asked if I wanted to sell it on his premises,” she recalls.

Soon, his business flourished and he began serving North Indian food at social gatherings and get-togethers. He then received an offer from the state’s PWD department to rent a restaurant in the marina. Over the years, Parikh’s updated their menu with changing trends in taste, adding french fries, burgers and noodles to the mix.

They cherish their time at the marina. “When the business boomed, many actors came to visit us,” recalls Sushila. She recalls how her establishment served food to people during the mass and meeting of Pope John Paul II on the beach in 1986.

The couple keeps getting calls from their regular customers. “They say they miss our rotis. A few calls from Adyar asking if we can reach there,” smiles Sushila. They hope to get their place back after a few years once the underground construction work is completed. “Maybe we can all start again,” she says.