Chaiwala

A chaiwala prepares masala chai on a coal fire in a street of Kolkata
A chaiwala in Varanasi pouring a cup of chai

A chaiwala is a person who prepares, sells or serves tea on streets or small roadside shops in Pakistan and India.[1] They boil a mixture of water and milk, add tea leaves and then strain the tea into containers or a tea kettle.

Chaiwala tend to come in from different parts of India and run small businesses in major cities. Chaiwalas usually serve tea in a small glasses or unglazed clay teacups (kulhar) but in recent years they have started to serve tea in plastic cups. Traditionally chai was made in brass vessels; however that appears to be changing in some places. Some regard the methods of brewing tea to be unhygienic, however often it is regarded to be safe since the tea is boiled.[2]

Chaiwala in popular culture

In the 1955 classic film Shri 420, the hero (Raj Kapoor) brings the heroine (Nargis) to a road-side tea stall. The chaiwala insists on receiving a payment of two annas for the two cups.[3] In the 2009 drama Slumdog Millionaire, the lead character, Jamal Malik (played by Dev Patel), is a chaiwala in an Indian call center.[4]

The Chaiwala from Islamabad, Pakistan

In October 2016, A young, blue eyed Chaiwala from Pakistan's Capital city Islamabad became an internet sensation.[5] Arshad Khan Chaiwala, third among seventeen siblings is a Pathan Pakistani. He sells chai in a Sunday market and saw the ritz and glitz of both national and international social, print and electronic media. A picture taken by an Islamabad amateur photographer Jiya Ali went viral on facebook and twitter. Arshad Khan became an overnight sensation not just in Pakistan but Indian public too was mesmerized by his looks. His fame made him a camera favourite guest for numerous morning shows, BBC[6] and CNN[7] did a story on the young chaiwala.

Narendra Modi

Advertisement for a Chai pe Charcha, 2014

The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is a former chaiwala.[8][9][10] He occasionally used to serve tea to the customers of his father's tea-stall outside the Vadnagar Railway Station. During the 2014 Indian general election, Modi hosted a series of "chai pe charcha" ("discussion over tea") events at tea stalls across India, in an attempt to emphasise his humble background.[11][12]

Modi's chaiwala background was mocked by Mani Shankar Aiyar, a senior leader of the then ruling Congress Party.[13] Former Chief Minister of Bihar and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also claimed to be a former chaiwala.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "What is a chai wallah?". Chai Wallahs of India. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  2. ↑ Tripadvisor Delhi Is it safe to drink coffee or tea?
  3. ↑ Raj Kapoor Proposes To Nargis On Street - Shree 420 Most Viewed Scenes, Shemaroo, Published on Feb 2, 2012
  4. ↑ IMDb Slumdog Millionaire Quotes
  5. ↑ "The touching story of 'Chaiwala' will melt your heart". Business Recorder. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
  6. ↑ "Pakistani 'chai wala' turns model after finding fame". BBC News. 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-11-24.
  7. ↑ Falcon Entertainment (2016-10-23), Arshad Khan Chai Wala, CNN News Report, retrieved 2016-11-24
  8. ↑ From ‘chaiwala’ to PM covet: A sneak peek into Modi's industrious life
  9. ↑ Narendra Modi: from tea vendor to PM nominee Archived 15 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ Zach Marks. "Narendra Modi and the Calculus of Tea". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  11. ↑ BJP opens NaMo Tea Stall, conduct 'Bhoomi Puja' before rally, 4 February 2014
  12. ↑ The minds behind Modi's 'achhe din' and 'Chai pe Charcha' campaign, Darshan Desai, Mail Today , Ahmedabad, May 21, 2014
  13. ↑ Rahul disapproves of Aiyar's 'chaiwala' jibe at Modi, TNN, Feb 7, 2014
  14. ↑ "Lalu Yadav claims that he is real Chaiwala". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
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