Chaiwala

A chaiwala prepares masala chai on a coal fire in a street of Kolkata, surrounded by a small gathering of customers and bystanders

A chaiwala in Varanasi pouring a cup of chai

Chaiwalas are mainly people who prepare, sell or serve Indian tea on streets or small roadside shops. They boil a mixture of water and milk, add tea leaves and then strain the tea into containers or a tea kettle.

A lot of 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.

The Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is a former chaiwala. He occasionally used to serve tea to the customers of his father's tea-stall outside the Vadnagar Railway Station. His chaiwala background was mocked by Mani Shankar Aiyar, a senior leader of the then ruling Congress Party. BJP seized on this opportunity to emphasize the humble background of Narendra Modi, by opening a number of "NaMo Teas Stalls" and organizing an public discussion campaign termed "Chai Pe Charcha".

In response, former Chief Minister of Bihar and RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav also claimed to be a former chaiwala.

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. In the 2009 drama Slumdog Millionaire, the lead character, Jamal Malik (played by Dev Patel), is a chaiwala in an Indian call center.

See also

• Indian tea culture
• Masala chai
• Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012

• From ‘chaiwala’ to PM covet: A sneak peek into Modi's industrious life
• Narendra Modi: from tea vendor to PM nominee
• Rahul disapproves of Aiyar's 'chaiwala' jibe at Modi, TNN, Feb 7, 2014
• BJP opens NaMo Tea Stall, conduct 'Bhoomi Puja' before rally, 4 February 2014
• The minds behind Modi's 'achhe din' and 'Chai pe Charcha' campaign, Darshan Desai, Mail Today , Ahmedabad, May 21, 2014
• Raj Kapoor Proposes To Nargis On Street - Shree 420 Most Viewed Scenes, Shemaroo, Published on Feb 2, 2012
• IMDb Slumdog Millionaire Quotes