‘Know Your Green Patch’ series: a humble gardener makes a huge difference at a small park in Sholinganallur

The tendency to periodically measure the success of any exercise, even one that has barely begun, is a differentia that sets homo sapiens apart from the other members of the taxonomic kingdom animalia. It is particularly true of a human engaging in physical exercise for the first time. Fifteen minutes into a walking regimen undertaken for the first time ever, one might pinch the midriff flab to see if it has vanished. It is not enough for us to walk, but to know how much we have walked. Ten thousand steps if you are perambulating. Five miles if you are cycling. Markers of progress are essential for humans to stay on course. A quaint little park on Narayanaswamy Nagar Main Road in Sholinganallur meets this need. Of modest dimensions, this park established in 2015 could not have found a better location. A ration shop is its next-door neighbour: it is convenient for residents to shop for essentials at the ration outlet and give their body another essential — a burst of brisk walking at this park. This park is just a sniffing distance away from the point where this road meets the busy Nedunchezian Salai, a part of which is lined by the compound wall of the Infosys office. Its location clearly encourages patronage. Besides, intrinsic factors that draw people to the park are its tidiness, thanks to the gardener and caretaker Kandan’s diligence. Besides keeping the park well-swept, he ensures the concrete ring-containers are occupied, regularly scooping green waste into it. Other highlights of the park are the neatly placed benches.

The tendency to periodically measure the success of any exercise, even one that has barely begun, is a differentia that sets homo sapiens apart from the other members of the taxonomic kingdom animalia. It is particularly true of a human engaging in physical exercise for the first time. Fifteen minutes into a walking regimen undertaken for the first time ever, one might pinch the midriff flab to see if it has vanished. It is not enough for us to walk, but to know how much we have walked. Ten thousand steps if you are perambulating. Five miles if you are cycling. Markers of progress are essential for humans to stay on course. A quaint little park on Narayanaswamy Nagar Main Road in Sholinganallur meets this need. 

Of modest dimensions, this park established in 2015 could not have found a better location. A ration shop is its next-door neighbour: it is convenient for residents to shop for essentials at the ration outlet and give their body another essential — a burst of brisk walking at this park. This park is just a sniffing distance away from the point where this road meets the busy Nedunchezian Salai, a part of which is lined by the compound wall of the Infosys office. 

Its location clearly encourages patronage. Besides, intrinsic factors that draw people to the park are its tidiness, thanks to the gardener and caretaker Kandan’s diligence. Besides keeping the park well-swept, he ensures the concrete ring-containers are occupied, regularly scooping green waste into it. Other highlights of the park are the neatly placed benches.

A banyan tree in the front serves as a facade. This banyan tree is not far from two other banyans, humongous and wide-reaching — one stands bang on the junction of Nedunchezian Salai and Kumaraswamy Nagar Main Road, and the other is found on the premises of a temple nearby. The images were taken on April 15, 2025.