Sumptuous meals and weekly treats – Brindavan dishes out delicacies that have a home-made feel about it.

A resident of Brindavan senior citizens home shows a group WhatsApp message that displays the day’s menu, two of which were pavakkai pitlai and cabbage poriyal.

With a childlike enthusiasm, he says, “after the morning coffee, our meals for the day are posted on the group.”

It is important to note that though this is the norm, today, in view of Coivd-19, the promoter, Brindavan Senior Citizens Foundation, has swung into action to adhere to strict social distancing norms. “Our kitchens are functioning under extremely stringent hygiene guidelines. Observing lockdown norms, the residents are being provided packed food at their apartments with the common dining area temporarily closed,” said the foundation.
“There is a variety in the food we are served, tasty, fresh and has a homemade feel about it,” according to the residents.

Hema Madhavan, who is in charge of food and fixing menus for the Brindavan Senior Citizens Foundation, said, “Our top priority is hygiene while cooking and serving, and the maintenance of the kitchen and dining areas and hand-wash space is strictly supervised.”

Senior citizens are generally associated bland and boring food, but they have a life to live, a good life at that, Hema Madhavan, says.

“It’s all a question of balance, keeping in mind their age and ailments.”

A daily meal would consist of aviyal, kuzhambu and appalam with a monthly treat of vatha kuzhambu and cauliflower manchurian.

Sundays are a mouth-watering fare of pudina and kothamalli sadam, puliyodarai, sambar and thayir sadam.

“If breakfast is poori masala, lunch would be milagu rasam and kootu, to balance it out,” she said.

“Since our food costs are extremely reasonable, we manage cooking sensibly. We mostly opt for seasonal vegetables so the costs can be controlled – something which works out well for the management and the residents alike,” Hema Madhavan said.

When asked how if he likes the food here, a resident summed it up, with a chuckle, as far as I know no one fell sick after eating, what more do we want, and the bonus is, it is tasty and has a variety.

Brindavan Arcade is the latest addition to Brindavan Senior Citizens Foundation’s projects that have been a breath of fresh air in the lives of the elderly and altered the retirement home landscape of Coimbatore.

Brindavan Arcade is located on a one-acre property amidst a picturesque and serene environment in Coimbatore’s Vadavalli neighbourhood. Rising adjacent to its sister properties – Brindavan Hillview, Brindavan Palmgrove and Brindavan Paradise – the project is based on an ownership model.

Run by brothers duo, R Madhavan and R Parthasarathy, the latest project promises a “resort-style” living that combines traditional practices.

“It’s a broader, bigger and a total package,” said Brindavan Senior Citizens Foundation President Madhavan.

It’s a shift from our leasing model as ownership gives a sense of belonging to the senior citizens,” he said.

Featuring 76 apartments of one-, 1.5-, two- and three-bedroom options, the project will be ready for handover in mid-2021.

“This is our fourth project, and we attribute the successful continuity to the trust we earned from our patrons,” said the Foundation’s vice-president, Parthasarathy.

The Arcade matches its sister properties in quality, facilities and infrastructure.

“Built with anti-skid tiles in bathing areas, intercom facilities and wide doors to facilitate wheelchair movement, and equipped with CCTV cameras, the project features reasonably-priced, full course meals, daily doctor visits, a resident nurse, ambulance service, and most importantly, tie-ups with leading hospitals in the city,” said Parthasarathy.

About 450 senior citizens live in the 300-plus homes in the projects built in a period of seven years. “Our reputation spread by word of mouth and we have never depended on advertisement to expand our footprint,” he added.