What is Deepavali ‘marundhu’ and why is it in demand this festive season?

What is Deepavali ‘marundhu’? It’s in demand this time of the year in Chennai. Herbal medicine shops and sweet shops are stocking it up in plenty.

Geetha Venkatesh’s regular shopping list at Mylapore’s popular Dabba Chetty Shop includes vaasanai podi, vasambu podi and gorojana podi, all herbal products that she believes will improve her health and immunity. At this time of the year, Geetha adds one more item to the list: Deepavali marundhu (medicine), or legiyam, as it is popularly called.

Made using sukku, chitharathai, tippli and omam, among others, the legiyam is believed to aid digestion and offset the fat in sweets that people tend to consume in excess during the festive season.

“It is a must-have in our house on Deepavali day, because we tend to consume a lot of savouries fried in oil, and sweets,” says Geetha.

It is also among Dabba Chetty Shop’s best-sellers this time of the year.

“The last few years have seen a dip in its sales, predominantly due to the pandemic and the rains during Deepavali. Things will hopefully pick up this year,” says its owner, K Badrinath.

The shop, which has been operating since 1885, is a landmark on Kutchery Road in Mylapore, but was moved out due to the ongoing CMRL work. They have been operating from a new location (New No. 9, North Mada Street, Mylapore) since January this year.

Legiyam is sold both as raw powder and in ready-to-consume form and finds pride of place in the store, neatly arranged in dabbas (containers) near the front counter. “While regulars shop for herbal products, many others come from different parts of the country only for the legiyam,” adds Badrinath, who also arranges to courier the medicine to other parts of India. Currently priced at ₹100 for 60 grams (powder) and 80 grams (legiyam), this marundhu is also sold throughout the year. Badrinath though, attests that sales are higher closer to Deepavali.