The tea houses of the old quarter.

[Text and photos by Mayank Austen Soofi]

The long-time Salim chaikhana shut some months ago, condemning the Walled City to one less chakhana. This is more discouraging than it sounds. For a chaikhana is a rare thing. It is profoundly different from the ubiquitous chai stall, which is simply a pavement kiosk for citizens to have their chai on the go. The chaikhana, or tea house, is a more formal place with furnished interiors dedicated to serving chai, snacks being incidental. Citizens exploit the chaikhana to rest, to rejuvenate, to press the pause button on the fast-moving life. Some chaikhana extroverts do like to share qissa-kahani with fellows at adjacent tables, many others prefer to sit alone with their mobile phone, sometimes soliloquising. Over the coming months, The Delhi Walla shall chronicle all of the remaining teahouses in the historic quarter. These are truly ingenious hyperlocal oases, pulsating to the rhythms of the locality. Starting with four places.

Smelling of beedis, Modern Tea House in Gali Haveli Azam Khan is a poets’ corner. Local romantics gather daily. The recitals of their shairyi are punctuated with gossips about neighbourhood personages. One afternoon, the poets were passionately discussing the lyrics of a rather racy Hindi film song from the 1980s.

This tea house in Farash Khana is called Sheesh Mahal, the palace of mirrors, and is administered by a family that specialises in mirror work. The back wall is panelled with hundreds of tiny multicoloured glass tiles. The central motif resembles a flower. The petals are of deep pink, surrounded by leaves of silver, yellow and green glasses.

Turkman Gate Bazar’s Kaley Tea Stall has a deceptive name. The teahouse looks like a hole-in-the-wall tea stall only from the street outside. On entering, you discover the actual scope of its labyrinthine expanse. The front area is claimed by a bench. Deeper inside lie more tables, one of which is plonked into a secretive chamber. The teahouse has been existing for more than 80 years. It recently underwent a renovation—the pink walls were done up in blue.

The hissing tea kettles of Mehfooz chaikhana in Kucha Chelan jet out their steam towards the unsuspecting passersby. Ambiance is more solemn within. A wall clock hangs high on the wall, ticking silently. One corner of the chaikhana is taken over by scores of cheekas, the wiry carriers to hold chai glasses. Some unused cheekas are hung by a hook, dangling beside a tile illustrating an idyllic tea-hour table. Cliques tend to hang out in the semi-private chamber at the far end (see photo). While tea man Salim exercises great patience during the chaikhana’s most hectic hours.

The chaikhana scenes

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.