Amid the rapid spread, COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of more than a thousand people in Chennai so far, including the unfamiliar people to the well known and popular faces of the city. Be it a legislator or a petty shop owner, there have been some deaths the city had collectively endured and grieved. 

One of the legislators of Chennai DMK's Anbalagan's demise due to COVID-19 last month has been one such death where, apart from his closest circle, the residents of the city mourned his loss. On Sunday, the city had a similar loss of the well-known face - not a politician or a celebrity but one of the faces of the famous 'Jannal' Bajji shop.

According to the reports, 53-year-old Sivaramakrishnan (also known as Ramesh) has died due to COVID-19 on July 5. He was fondly known for being one of the faces of the 'Jannal' Bajji shop that his family ran beside the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, Chennai. He was a diabetic patient and admitted to the local hospital last week after he developed discomforts to his health. On Saturday -July 4, he was taken to the Government Hospital in Royapettah, and on Sunday- July 5, he was declared dead at the hospital in the wee hours, around 3 am.

After his demise, his samples were taken from the body and sent for COVID-19 testing and the results of the samples came positive for the virus. After the conformity that he has become a victim of COVID-19, his body was cremated as per the guidelines of the Greater Chennai Corporation. 

Deceased Sivaramakrishnan was locally known as Ramesh and he has earned a popular name in the neighborhood for selling 'Bajji' through a window attached to his residence and the shop became known across the city as hundreds of people who visit the temple would throng before the shop for consuming hot bajjis, bondas, and tiffin items which combinedly accredited as healthy and economical. The Bajji shop is owned by his brother Chandrasekaran and Sivaramakrishnan used to help his brother in the shop.

The shop has been functioning for the last 25 years and with no name or a signboard to represent, the blue window has become a trademark for the shop which attracted a popular name in the city. It's one of the most visited stalls in Mylapore and a man sitting behind the window would offer the snacks through the window to the customers. The shop has registered goodwill among the residents that the bajjis and bondas would ran out of stock within some hours since it was kept ready for consumption.

The name 'Jannal' Bajji Kadai was given by the fans as they trade the snacks through the window. Most of the items of the shop priced between Rs 30 to Rs 40 and would be sold out soon. According to the reports, the shop would be opened from 7.45 am and the stock would be over before 10 am and evening it remained open from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm. 

Sivaramakrishnan, who worked as the Auditor in Teynampet, is one of the well-known faces of the shop along with his brother and on Sunday, he has died due to COVID-19, leaving many to mourn his loss. People who know him took to Social Media and expressed their condolences and shared their memories with the shop. Sivaramakrishnan was surviving with his brother and two daughters. After his demise, he was buried at the burial ground in Krishnampet, Mylapore. Chandrasekaran said that the demise of his brother has deeply saddened the family and the shop will be opened after a month.