19 Aug 2026
Craft
Do Trichy Cigars or Suruttus Survive Today as Bidis?
Trichy cigars, Tamil suruttus, and bidis are all rolled tobacco products. Their names, materials, manufacture, and histories show that they are not the same thing.
Stories from the archive
The Journal
Documented histories of Trichinopoly’s cigars, makers, merchants, travellers, and cultural afterlife.
18 Aug 2026
Brands
Flor de Spencer and the Brands That Vanished Like Smoke
Flor de Spencer, Gold Mohur, Bahadur, Lady Love, Dawson: the surviving names reveal a Trichy cigar trade built on brands that changed across factories and markets.
12 Aug 2026
Origins
What Exactly Was a Trichy Cigar?
A documented introduction to the shape, name, materials, and changing identity of the celebrated Trichy cigar.