OPAL FOUNTAINS AND ARTIFICIAL PLANTS

A chance sighting of an exquisite fountain at a friend's place led me to Opal Fountains and Artificial Plants.  Nestled in a corner of Anna Nagar West, you can pass by Opal showroom without noticing it if you are not watching out for it.  It is situated right above Nagappa's Hero Honda Service Centre. 

Opal is managed by a husband and wife team - Anand and Kalaivani Anand, who have made Opal a success story.  The artificial fountains at Opal are all imported from either China or Italy.  There are even some Indian models, which are fitted with imported pumps.  "We give a guarantee of one year for the pumps, which are maintenance free", says Kalaivani Anand.

The best thing about fountains from Opal is that, there is no need for a source of water for the fountains, as there is a submersible pump which keeps on pumping the water.  The result is quiet operation and no mess, which is ideal for indoor fountains.

The indoor fountains that are available at Opal range from Rs1,500/- to Rs 30,000/-. Variety is another big plus at Opal, as it keeps changing every time a new consignment is imported.  There are table top models, floor models, pedestal models, garden fountains, wall hung models, marble fountains and even smoke effect fountains.  Says Kalaivani, "It's really amazing how it works out.  When I choose a particular fountain, I think that it really is going to sell like hot cakes and then it doesn't move at all, while I pick something which I think won't move so fast and it just disappears off the shelf.  Like, there were a couple of 'frog fountains' which I felt wouldn't move at all.  One Fen-shui master walked in, saw it, was very pleased and took them all".

Another craze in Chennai is 'Vaasthu' and when Kalaivani mentioned that many clients buy fountains as Vaasthu remedies, it was hardly surprising.  Basically, water is seen as a cleansing agent and is said to absorb all impurities, so water fountains become a fashionable remedy for the Vaasthu tradition.  Anand and Kalaivani also take up orders for outdoor fountains, "It's really amazing to see people's requirements for fountains for their gardens and so on.  We are out most of the time for these orders".

Well, if you think that's all that is on offer from Opal, then you are quite mistaken.  Artificial flowers, plants and creepers are another big hit from Opal.  "We do quite a few projects for offices and homes where we take up complete interior decoration.  On one such occasion we were short by one creeper, so my husband went to get one from the wholesale shop in Parry's Corner.  There he found one creeper of much inferior quality costing around Rs 275/-.  For the same type of creeper, of much higher quality we charge just Rs 175/-.  The difference is obvious.  The pricing is our greatest advantage, we are priced lower than wholesales stores in Parry's or anywhere else in Chennai".

Flowers, plants and creepers made of plastic, rubber, latex and even dry-flowers are available at Opal.  There are branded varieties too from Australia and China.  A single flower with stalk costs just Rs15/-, yet another example of Opal's competitive pricing.  According to Kalaivani, creepers and bunches of flowers are fast moving items.

Address: Opal Fountains and Artificial Plants, 2034, First Floor, 13^th Main Road, H-Block, Anna Nagar West, Chennai 600 040. 
Phone: 620 9443 / 45

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