what is a chai wallah?
A wallah is one who performs a specific task. A rickshaw wallah drives the rickshaw, a dhobi wallah washes clothes and chai wallahs, you guessed it, they make chai. Chai wallahs are everywhere in India. Everywhere. From busy urban street corners to hidden alleyways, at bus depots and railway platforms and walking through the train car, along riversides and on footpaths that lead to pilgrimage sites in the middle of nowhere — when you need a fresh cup of tea, the chai wallah is always near.
Chai wallahs take pride in their chai. After all, each and every day, it is their responsibility to sustain and nurture the masses by providing the beverage that keeps India running.
To stand out from the rest, many chai wallahs develop a stylized preparation and presentation for their chai.
Some chai wallahs put a little something special in their chai, a smashed up nub of ginger, a pinch of garam masala powder, or a strand of saffron on top, to make it unique and keep their customers coming back. Often it is the performance that sells the chai. Many chai wallahs let the chai boil up until an instant before it is going to spill over the side, then with great agility, swirl the pot an inch over the flame, suspending it in an almost-boiling-over state before removing it from the heat, then doing the trick again. In Kolkatta we witnessed the “metre-pour”, where the chai wallah blends the chai by pouring it back and forth between the pots at two arm-lengths apart. Frothy chai latte to go?
Most chai wallahs prepare their chai in small batches on a per order basis. In large cities, however, the chai business is often divided into one central chai wallah who makes enormous batches of chai, and the sellers who fill orders and deliver to local shops. For the chai courier, the faster you can run through the congested city, the more chai you can sell.
It is often the same at train stations, where many chai wallahs are selling from the same huge vat. When pulling into a train station in India, the first sound you hear is the chorus of chai wallahs singing their sales pitch. Breaking chai into two syllables and accentuating the second, ‘chai-eeeeeee, chai-eeeeeee’, the chai vendors signal their location to the passengers. You can just hang out the window and get a chai to go. If a loud voice doesn’t draw attention, a creative performance on the train can make a sale. Walking down the aisles, some wallahs display their skills by pouring the chai in a long thin stream, as far from the cup as possible, without spilling a drop.
I generally like to purchase my chai from the wallah with the best vibes — one who is wearing a smile and keeps a clean chai stall. In Benares, at Raju chai stand, under a tree on the orange and white steps of Assi Ghat, I watched a young chai wallah as he made his first pot of chai of the day. I was surprised to see several people waiting on the steps for their morning chai when there were several other chai wallahs in view already serving. I sat down to wait with them. After brewing his chai, the young man strained the boiled pot into a stainless steel teakettle. He then closed his eyes and appeared to make a silent invocation as he poured a small offering of chai next to the orange cooking burner flame. (In India, fire is revered as the ancient Vedic God, Agni, and it is auspicious to first offer the fruits of your labor to the Divine.) He then poured the first chai into a clay cup and handed it to me. I felt honored. Even though I prefer a little ginger and cardamom in my chai, instead of the Nescafe instant coffee he sprinkled on top, he became my new favorite chai wallah.
With the success of the movie Slumdog Millionaire, we have received many visitors to our what is a chai wallah? post, from those unfamiliar with the term. To clarify the term chai wallah as it is used in the movie, and to offer a poignant example of this site’s intent, we thought it appropriate to offer an addendum to this post. So, after reading this, please check out what is a slumdog chai wallah?
yet another beautiful and intriguing post.
you are making all this into a book aren’t you?
30 Nov 2008 at 2:30 am
Very interesting post. Thank you for sharing. I love the photos
30 Nov 2008 at 3:22 am
What a lovely post Patrick! Loved the collage of pics – each chai wallah is so distinct yet so similar in their efforts to bring to you a steaming cup of chai. The “metre-pour” is quite common and a visual treat indeed. I did try to do it a couple of times, but not to mention, failed miserably
03 Dec 2008 at 3:45 am
hi patrick and jenny! finally, this morning i made it over to your chai pilgrimage site! i’m sitting next to my quiet cat with my cup of chai, having a moment of reflection as the day unfolds. What a delightful site to visit! many thanks.
sarajo
04 Dec 2008 at 9:01 am
You have some excellent content and a compelling writing style – keep up the great work!
07 Dec 2008 at 8:02 am
I’ve had many a’ chai and yours is the best Patrick!!! Glad to see you guys writing/doing stuff that you love.
hugs
Justin
07 Dec 2008 at 8:32 pm
jenny,patrick!
this definitely is one of the nicest blogs i’ve come across in the longest time.
i’ve been trying to get in touch with either of you over a collaborative project for chai, for a while now. i believe this may be the best way i can reach you guys.
please do write back to me at
thebusride@gmail.com
the project’s on full swing and we’re seeking chai enthusiasts.
do look up some of the work we’re doing at
http://www.jointhebusride.com
cheers,
p
10 Dec 2008 at 5:17 am
Hi there!
I enjoyed reading your colorfully written posts and have learned so much about tea through your thorough descriptions. Perhaps I can even try out brewing a few of the concoctions. Thanks a lot!
10 Dec 2008 at 8:38 pm
Enjoying your blog, even though I am no chai drinker
Just a little point. Chaiwallah, even though a portmanteau word, is treated as one word, so you can’t use the word ‘wallah’ in the sense that you have used. Actually the word means something more like belonging to as in ‘iska wala fruit acchha hai’ means his/her fruit is good 
20 Jan 2009 at 10:18 am
hi Swati, thanks so much for your comment and information! we appreciate learning this and are happy you are enjoying the site.
20 Jan 2009 at 10:27 am
Your site is going to get alot of hits after the success of Slumdog Millionaire. Maybe you could add that onto the Google search pattern for your site. (without infringing copyright of course!) Love the pictures. Best, Dan
10 Feb 2009 at 12:55 pm
i think you’re right, Dan. our visitor count has gone thru the roof—i hope all are enjoying what they are seeing/reading! of course we’ve seen Slumdog Millionaire and LOVED it. and for so many reasons. it’s beautiful, has a lot of soul and is simply brilliant. and, it puts chai wallahs on the map!
glad you enjoyed your visit. it’s fun to share our chai pilgrimage in this way, and i think people will love the book when it comes out!
10 Feb 2009 at 1:52 pm
Yup, searched for it after seeing Slumdog and it was the first site to pop up. Bound to get many hits thanks to the wealth of information. Thanks for the knowledge!
17 Feb 2009 at 4:45 pm
oo ee oo ah ah oo ah wallah wallah bang bang
Kickass blog
Slumdog chai wallah googler
02 May 2009 at 2:55 pm
Very informative post. I entered chai wallah in my search engine after seeing Slumdog Millionaire and also because I drink Chai Tea Lattes at work at least twice a day.
Thanks for the lesson Chaiwallahs.
06 May 2009 at 6:49 pm
Super. Nothing like a Chai to sooth and relax you.
Enjoy your chai journey.
http://www.wanlingteahouse.co.uk – fellow tea lovers.
18 May 2009 at 4:03 pm
Add me to the long list of “ggoglers” after watching “Slumdog”. Great site, thanks for all the insightful information.
20 Jun 2009 at 8:23 pm
Pat/Jen,
Lovely blog on Chai have added a link from my blog to yours under a short write up about Chai Wallahs. Hope you don’t mind.
Besides, i think it is Brilliant of what you are doing, i do miss the Chai myself, having travelled all over India, in the past.
Enjoy,
Nameskar
31 Aug 2009 at 6:33 am
Seth Godin’s blog post directed me to your blog today — as I really wanted to know more about a “chai wallah.” I guess you could that my gig or wallah is lenses — so I would be a “lens wallah” — but that I would only be one wallah! At the moment, I’m involved in too many wallahs I think. Delightful reading — glad I found my way here.
17 Sep 2009 at 4:35 am
Beautiful.
17 Sep 2009 at 4:40 am
I have seen no comments on the beautiful images in this post. They are stunning!
17 Sep 2009 at 4:55 am
More than 2 decades ago, I lived in India for 2 years. Your writing and pictures have brought a deluge of sweet, warm and perfectly spiced memories overflowing my cup. It’s been so long since I made fresh chai from scratch. Perhaps today…
17 Sep 2009 at 5:09 am
I found your blog through a link by Seth Godin’s blog! I am a huge chai fan so was curious. Love your photos and am looking forward to reading more of your posts. Haven’t seen Slumdog Millionaire, btw.
17 Sep 2009 at 5:20 am
I run Doodh Patti but I have come to love this blog. Wish to have a cup from this Chai Wala.
BTW, I have linked you at Doodh Patti.
17 Sep 2009 at 6:14 am
Wonderful post! Such a fascinating story. There’s nothing better than a great cup of chai. Chai is life!
17 Sep 2009 at 6:26 am
Nice one! Interestingly, the mobile revolution has been a boon for them too. Offices and shops now call them on mobiles and order the tea they want delivered.
17 Sep 2009 at 6:41 am
Wonderful photos and engaging read — don’t ruin it with they’re/their/there mix ups.
“Chai wallahs take pride in there [sic] chai. After all, each and every day, it is there [sic] responsibility to sustain and nurture the masses by providing the beverage that keeps India running.”
You got it right in the next paragraph!
17 Sep 2009 at 6:45 am
Saw your blog through the link on Seth Godin’s blog. Very well written & informative, with wonderful pictures. Expect a big spike in viewers today!
17 Sep 2009 at 6:51 am
Oh.my.goodness. This is an amazing blog, an amazing story. Being a Chai fanatic, I had to click on the link Seth Godin provided. I cannot wait to read more.
I did see Slumdog Millionaire, but I don’t remember the parts about Chai. Very strange.
Thank you for this beautiful post.
17 Sep 2009 at 8:45 am
Came from Seth Godin’s blog as well. Interesting and beautiful post.
I’m just stumped why I don’t remember anything about Chaiwallahs in Slumdog. Hmm…
17 Sep 2009 at 9:50 am
This is a great example of great writing and engaging storytelling that transports the reader to a location (India) and makes him/her want a cup of chai wallah, now
17 Sep 2009 at 10:00 am
the main character in Slumdog gets chai for all the workers at the office. he doesn’t actually make the chai but is a ‘runner’. the host of who wants to be a millionaire keeps calling him ‘Chai Wallah’. he uses it negatively, as if he’s “just a chai wallah”. patrick is writing a post about this. it’s still sitting in the draft folder due to baby playing. soon.
17 Sep 2009 at 10:03 am
wow – the care and the attention to detail and the FABULOUS photography on your site are stunning! I LOVE the chai wallas, what a brilliant microcosm of one of the great mysteries of the world that is India…I really hope your book is a huge success — i want a copy already!
Im going to post a small article in homage to you guys now on my happiness project site – thanks for the inspiration…!
(Thanks, Seth)
- Satya
17 Sep 2009 at 10:48 am
I am so inspired!!! Looking forward to your book!
17 Sep 2009 at 12:45 pm
This is the uniqueness of one and only India. I love our great India. Thanks for submitting this wonderful article.
17 Sep 2009 at 1:58 pm
I see such beauty in the simplicity and focus of doing one thing with great care and and personal attention to detail.
Thank you for being a link to the service providers of India.
In the US, where I do my work, my goal is to deliver a performance that meets the precise needs of my client’s production. I pay attention to the nuances of words and their meanings with the aim of delivering a performance that is simple, but powerful.
Thank you for giving new meaning to being a voiceover walla.
17 Sep 2009 at 3:45 pm
Great theme and great photos! There’s more to tea than just drinking off “the cup that cheers but never inebriates”.
Walah is also a surname prefixed by the particular trade the family has been in, perhaps for generations; tobaccowallah, daruwallah, for instance.
This is India! Incredible!
17 Sep 2009 at 4:56 pm
Oh! I miss my chai so much in Singapore. After reading your post I even want it more than ever.
17 Sep 2009 at 5:36 pm
You have ‘romanced’ the ‘chaiwallah’ who indeed is an epitome of the virtue of excelling in just THAT ‘one-thing’. Yes, in a world that worships multitasking. Wish your book more of this ‘cheer’.
17 Sep 2009 at 9:25 pm
Beautiful post! Loved the pics. Yes, the chai is great way to relax and recharge. And, any typical watercooler conversations at work or with frieds isn’t complete without a cup of chai or coffee.
Saw the link to this on Seth Godin’s blog.
17 Sep 2009 at 11:44 pm
Beautiful post! Loved the pics. Yes, the chai is great way to relax and recharge. And, any typical watercooler conversations at work or with friends isn’t complete without a cup of chai or coffee.
Saw the link to this on Seth Godin’s blog.
17 Sep 2009 at 11:45 pm
You had me until the Nescafe! Actually, you still have me. I’m going to block out that detail and store it with a few general misgivings, unfortunate purchases and a couple of ex-boyfriends in a dark recess, preferably a black hole.
18 Sep 2009 at 12:42 am
An important part of Indian lifestyle and a uniqueness of voice you can here on every train or bus stand..chai, chai, chai wallah….
18 Sep 2009 at 4:11 am
I loved this post. It brought me right back to India, the smell of hot sweet tea and dust, the taste of the stainless steel cups the Chai wallahs use.
thank you
19 Sep 2009 at 2:05 am
What a nice blog on this rainy gray day in the Western North Carolina mountains. I believe I’ll have a cup please…
20 Sep 2009 at 3:09 pm
a great concept for tea lover in india………………….
good concept….noce pics… work is really appriciated…..
22 Sep 2009 at 3:52 am
i love the photos
22 Sep 2009 at 11:57 pm
Another one who came via Seth’s blog. Great informative read, now I want to see Slumdog and drink another pint of tea
. Will be checking back regularly.
25 Sep 2009 at 3:56 am
Thank you so much everyone! Such thoughtful comments, insight, and kind words. We have a lot of responses still going out to many of you — just so busy presently finishing my kid’s book and being with Tulsi. We appreciate you visiting our site and are happy you are enjoying it. Patrick and I are excited to be back regularly on the blog soon, and even more, working full time on our book and seeing it come to life! Thanks again! jenny
28 Sep 2009 at 2:48 pm
The photos were too fun, thanks for the share!
19 Oct 2009 at 6:19 am
Thanks for the detailed post. It brings back great memories of India, where a chai wallah can always be found for a tasty drink and interesting conversations with the locals.
03 Jan 2010 at 7:53 am
Love the photos. Never had the chance to have the chai prepared over a fire yet, just the Bigelow/Twinings kind from tea bag. I’m sure I’m missing out.
11 Mar 2010 at 5:27 pm
Wonderful Post. Keep up the good work! This looks like it can turn into a documentary or a book or both!! Good Luck!
Sincerely,
Rick Roux
Kerala Ayurveda Academy
888-353-7252
http://www.ayurvedaacademy.com
31 Mar 2010 at 12:42 pm