A sea-facing life in Chennai: Murugavel Janakiraman, founder and CEO of Matrimony.com

Chennai is a liveable city. People are nice and accommodating. The city has a wonderful mix of tradition and modernity. It is also a safe place to live in. I love the beaches in Chennai. I have always had a deep connection with the beach. I grew up in Royapuram, and later studied at Presidency College, which faces the beach. I then went to the University of Madras, which also overlooks the beach. Now, my office faces the sea. Earlier, beaches used to be quiet places. Now, you need to travel to resorts to find that kind of calmness. That has changed in the city. I like this place, Broken Bridge, which also faces the sea. I once had a brainstorming session here with my leadership team about Elite Matrimony.

Earlier, the city had fewer entrepreneurs. More entrepreneurs are emerging now. We may still lag behind Bengaluru and Delhi, but the ecosystem is steadily getting better. Dakshin at the Park Sheraton used to be one of my favourite places. Woodlands was another place, especially for coffee. I’m not a regular at either place, but I have always liked them.

Those days, matchmaking happened through marriage brokers, relatives, and family networks. Now most matchmaking happens online. There is also a growing amalgamation of cultures in weddings. Earlier, mehendi and sangeet were not part of Tamil weddings. Now weddings have become much more elaborate, with people adopting traditions from different cultures.

(As told to Sangeetha Kandavel)