A trip to the famed Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple would be incomplete for many devotees without purchasing ‘Thazhampoo Kungumam’ packets. Hundreds of shopkeepers around the temple make and sell ‘Thazhampoo kungumam’ to devotees and tourists. to earn their livelihood. However, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, devotees have not been visiting the temple, resulting in almost no sales of the kungumam packets for shopkeepers.
P. Pandiarajan, whose family has been making ‘Thazampoo kungumam’ for the past three generations, says that the kungumam is unique to Madurai and commands a good market throughout the country. “It is preferred by customers for its colour, quality and fragrance,” he says. Many families prepare the kungumam on a small scale basis at their homes. Over the past few years, some big companies have also started manufacturing it. Some shopkeepers buy from these companies and repack it to sell it to customers, he says.
In the absence of temple festivals, grand weddings, functions and devotees, only a few customers are buying smaller quantities for their personal use, says R. Uma, who makes the kungumam at her residence on Gopala Kothan Street.
The lockdown has also affected the sale of kungumam packets to other States like Karnataka, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, says Mr. Pandiarajan. “While 90% of the sales occur around the temple, a few shopkeepers also sell it to temples across the country and to customers who hail from Madurai, but are settled in other parts of the country,” he added.
