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With the sweltering heat, the sweat 'downpour' from head to toe, tongue 'dried up' like Chennai reservoirs, the mind and body look for new modes of salvation. If you are one among them, just drop in (that is a euphemism as these are all open stalls) at some of the busiest places in Chennai to discover one of the most offbeat health drinks. Cumbum koozh, as it is known in Tamil, is turning out to be a great hit with all strata of people who are looking for better alternatives to the branded soft drinks.

Consisting of an interesting mix of cumbu, broken rice (noi, in Tamil) and salt, this refresher is believed to keep you in good humour throughout the day, at least according to the vendor Sadaiyan. This simple old man, in the trade for the last two years, believes that soft drinks are a mere illusion as their taste is momentary and the cool feeling they produce is fleeting.

But, koozh, not pleasing in appearance and packaging, promises guarantee to health. Well, let me put it in the marketing lingo or the corporate way. Coming in a mix of natural and household ingredients, koozh boasts of an array of elements as associates to be consumed along with: Raw mango, buttermilk, mint chutney, green chillies, onions, etc. Just take you pick to lick with the koozh.

Coming to the health part of it, Sadaiyan, referring to the village atmosphere and lifestyle, claims that koozh is a good counter-attack to the typical city-bred's health disorders such as ulcer, sugar, burning sensation in the eyes and in general a source for overall good health.

This entrepreneur, who has been instrumental in popularising koozh in the T Nagar area of Chennai, invests a maximum of Rs 150 per day and earns a profit of Rs 80-90 per day. His regular customers include Mukesh Ambani, Aditya Birla, Sachin Tendulkar, Kamal Hassan, etc. Hey, wait, wait, I'm talking about aspirants who want to make it big in their respective fields.

His list of customers includes people from various strata of society such as auto drivers, upper-class joggers in the morning, young cricketers who come down for a workout or two and many others.

The traditional Tamil dish seems to interest various groups, especially after the Cola Crisis (in fact, my friend who is a farmer does not spend on urea and fertilisers these days: he just pumps litres and litres of cola into his field!!).

So, for those of you who want to escape the cola culture or want to test something beyond lime juice (lemon?) and tender coconut, just checkout koozh. It has no added flavours, no fertiliser content, also no big celebrities endorsing it. But it is simple village stuff that assures good health.

It's not a private multi-national corporation limited company, but a limited company with a few vendors on G N Chetty Road, Vadapalani, etc. So, set out to get the new coolant for the human body!

P.S.: Well, thinking about the old man who sells koozh, I'm reminded of a Tamil phrase that would suit the situation to perfection: Oorukkellam koozh oothi, thun veettukku kanji ootharar.