The long stretch of Diwan Bahadhur road in RS Puram remained the central shopping hub of Coimbatore for many decades. It continues to bustle with activity throughout the year and while a lot has changed there is one particular shop that has withstood the test of time,not just in appearance but also in the manner in which they interact with their customers.
The long stretch of Diwan Bahadhur road in RS Puram remained the central shopping hub of Coimbatore for many decades. It continues to bustle with activity throughout the year and while a lot has changed there is one particular shop that has withstood the test of time,not just in appearance but also in the manner in which they interact with their customers.
Founded by Shri.N.A.Parasuraman in the year 1943, Ramoo & Co has been frequented by folks of Coimbatore to purchase mostly cotton and terry cotton fabric in those days. I must have been all of five when I first accompanied my mother on one of her regular trips to Ramoo & Co. The shelves didn’t overflow onto the floor as they do know, so a child had ample space to stand and stare to heart’s content without getting in anyone’s way.
Row upon row of carefully arranged blouse materials wrapped in wide rectangular folds with shades that go from light to dark in each individual colour would never cease to capture my attention.It used to fascinate me, how they would pull out the perfect shade to go with the colour of the saree, which then to my young eyes looked all the same!
As I got older, I was allowed to pick the fabric of my choice to be stitched into pretty frocks, something my mother enjoyed doing and Ramoo & Co offered a wide variety of floral and polka dot printed fine cotton fabric. Her elder sister ,my aunt was a familiar patron at this store all her life.
Then we would venture up the wooden staircase taking care to not bump our heads on the low ceiling, to go and take a look at the men’s selection of shirting and suiting material. This is where I picked up words like blends, terry wool, polyester etc. The store was also a safe place for a young child because the salespersons were friendly and kept a watchful eye but were never intrusive. Some of them still work behind the counter today and I’m greeted with beaming smiles whenever I pay a visit.
The other day when I asked what time they opened the store every morning, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they opened at 9am on the dot. In a time when stores stay shut upto even 11 am, it was most refreshing to know that some systems stayed true to their beginnings. The current owner Shri.N.P. Kumar is the person I remember well behind the cash counter. Today as he walks up and down the aisle it's apparent that the years have not diminished his enthusiasm in dealing with customers both old and new.
He tells me that his late father was the Vice President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Coimbatore and the Secretary of the Coimbatore Cloth Merchants Association. Along with owning the now iconic Ramoo & Co, he also owned a host of other stores in the RS Puram area which were later sold. The late Shri.KMMunshi, founder of Bharathi Vidya Bhavan is believed to have said of Shri.Parasuraman as a man with “Simple living and high thinking”.
The bills at Ramoo & Co are still hand written in bill books that seem to have been little altered by time. Another object of extreme interest for me used to be the box which contained the glue socked sponge and the brown paper cut in diamond patterns. There was no stapler or cello tape used to fasten the mouth of the brown paper packets, which were used to pack the items. While the brown paper packets are no longer used as they are prohibited, the glue and paper paraphernalia still occupies pride of place next to the billing counter.
Whether it’s shopping for dhotis and sarees for the staff or looking for some specific yardage, shopping at Ramoo & Co is quick thanks to the efficient staff who are familiar with every one of the products they have on sale. Besides, the easy display of camaraderie among them gives that feeling of a family run business which is especially highlighted by that unhurried nature of going about their job.
The cheerfulness remains until the end of the day and even if people don’t find what they need,every customer feels well looked after. The view may have changed somewhat from when I could barely look over the counter to now when I can touch the higher most shelf, but the feeling of being watched over affectionately by staff who are eager to please hasn’t changed one bit. If ever I wanted time to stand still or go back a few decades, Ramoo & Co is one place that would fill that brief !