Chala or Chalai, being a prime shopping destination, sells anything from fruits and vegetables to jewellery. Come rain or shine, and business never slows down in Chala market. You will find motorcycles and trucks honking full blast as you walk through the street flanked by shops on either side.
Chala has played a significant role in the growth and development of Thiruvananthapuram. Dewan Raja Kesavadas was the architect of Chala market we see today. The market holds steadfast to most of its old flavours.
There are many lanes and numerous shops aligned like matchboxes. Each area of the market is assigned for one particular item. There are by-lanes where you could buy vegetables and fruits, spices, jewellery, utensils, brass items, textiles and more.
No matter how many shopping malls come up, but people of Trivandrum can never be satisfied unless they buy something from Chala. This is a one-stop street where you could get anything you want.
When the street was first set up in Chala, traders came from Tamil Nadu and later settled here. The locals here use Malayalam as well as Tamil. Even the food items you get here has a pinch of Tamil taste in it.