City Hangout – Maulana Aagan Chaikhana, Mohalla Kabristan Hangouts by The Delhi Walla - September 30, 2011September 30, 20117 Lovely and sad. [Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi] Two blackened kettles, two ceiling fans, some wooden benches, a few plastic chairs and a roughly carved pillar makes it one of Old Delhi’s most charming chaikhanas, or tea houses. The air of Maulana Aagan Chaikhana in Mohalla Kabristran neighbourhood, Turkman Gate, is saturated with quietness. The street teems with people but inside there is the comfort of reclusion. This is an illusion for the chaikhana is rarely empty. The shop’s daily turnover is Rs 1,200; it uses 35 liters milk everyday. The Delhi Walla met trader Raees Ahmad who is coming to the chaikhana every single day without fail since it opened 30 years ago. “You are walking down from some place and you see this tea house and you think you will stop here for ten minutes,” says Ahmad. “But you stay for hours and end up drinking 8-10 glasses of tea. There’s sakoon (relief) here.” The bench next to him is covered with the inside pages of Rozana Sahara, an Urdu daily. Unlike roadside tea stalls, this chaikhana offers no tea-time snacks like fen or biskuts. The tea – too creamy, milky and sweet – isn’t great. Is this place so precious because Delhi’s tea house culture is almost extinct? The rich parts of the city have expensive cafes; the rest has pavement stalls that make tea on carts. A tea house – the space where you can sit for as long as you want and which serves tea alone – is an endangered specie: there are some in the Walled City and there’s one in Zakir Nagar, south Delhi. The biggest tea house in Turkman Gate, this retreat of deep shadows and cobwebbed ceilings is soaked in sadness; it is anticipating a moment that is soon to follow. It could shut down. The owner who founded it is seriously ill. “Maulana Aagan has heart problems and he is in a hospital,” says Faheemuddin, the tea house’s munshi, or cashier. Until a year ago Faheemuddin was an embroidery worker in Dubai; he returned after the recession claimed his job. Now, he spends his time reclined on a chair, his legs sprawled on a bench. Faheemuddin’s cash box is stacked with coins. A glass of chai costs Rs 7. Dressed in a collared shirt and check lungi, the boyish-looking Irshad is making tea in the chaikhana for a decade. He says, “I’m 30 and still unmarried.” Unaware of his frustrations, many customers who are addicted to Irshad’s tea kill hours sharing jokes and beedis. “Most of us are traders so we are not interested in politics,” says Ahmad. ‘Instead we talk about women and gambling.” Then there are the lone customers. Probably dwelling too much on their private disappointments, they order their tea, settle down in their favorite seats and stare blankly with glazed eyes. The tea house is open daily, from 8 am to 10 pm. Where House no. 1937, Mohalla kabristan, Turkman Gate Nearest Metro Station Chawri Bazaar Afternoon regulars Just surviving Irshad, the tea maker Time is running out Raees Ahmad, a loyal patron Leave me alone You think too much Daily dope Creamy, milky, frothy Faheemuddin, the tea house’s cashier The cashier’s register Missing the lost years Years later… Life is elsewhere Let’s just be silent FacebookX Related Related posts: City Hangout – Peer Baba’s Courtyard, Mohalla Qabristan Mission Delhi – Bhai Wali, Mohalla Qabristan Chowk City Walk – Galli Maulana Muhammed Saleem, Old Delhi City Food – Chai ki Dukan Tea Stall, Mohalla Qabristan City Monument – Maulana Azad’s Mausoleum, Near Meena Bazaar
Captivating in words & photos. Such an interesting article promps this question for the Delhi Walla: Bombay has its Khau Galli in Bhendi Bazaar where chefs set up impromptu stalls after dark to prepare street food for hungry shoppers. In fact, Bombay has three Khau Gallis, one at Zaveri Road, another at Mohammad Ali Road and the third at Churchgate. Where are Delhi’s Khau Gallis, its areas renown for street food after dark?
‘after dark’ seems like a bad idea in Delhi…especially for the women. If you mean ‘late night’, Delhi does have a thriving late-night-street-food culture. Old Delhi is replete with ‘khau gallis'( what a barbarous term!), of course, no one calls them that over here. Kebab-wallahs, Nanbaais and Biryani sellers are a common sight. Unlike Mumbai, Delhi’s street-food culture is centuries old and involves Mughlai and Indo-persian dishes. Interestingly, there are a number of Kashmiri Naanbaais in Delhi. They cater to the migrant Kashmiri-Pandits, who have a rich tradition of baked breads. You may also find Afghan Naanbaais in areas like Hauz Rani in South Delhi. Some dishes that may be had in Old Delhi ( and which I have had the occasion to sample): Rajma Chawal, Mutton Biryani, Haleem, Nihari with Naan, all manner of kebabs,aaloo chaat, chhole bhature, chhole kulche, chhole chawal and South Indian delicacies.