Chaiwala

A ''chaiwala'' (also transliterated as ''chaiwalah'' or ''chaiwallah''; , ) is a tea-seller in the Indian subcontinent. They are an integral part of subcontinent culture. ''Chai'' is the Hindi and Urdu word for "tea", as in masala chai, and ''wala'' indicates the person performing the task, so ''chaiwala'' is a street vendor of tea.

Chaiwalas, as an entrepreneurial group, tend to move from different regions of India to run their small business in major cities. They typically prepare the tea by boiling a mixture of water and milk, often with a spice mixture called chai masala, and then add tea leaves and sugar, and then strain the drink into containers or a tea kettle. They usually serve tea in a small glasses or unglazed clay teacups (''kulhar'') but have started to use plastic cups. Traditionally, tea was made in brass vessels.

In popular culture

In the 1955 film ''Shri 420'', the hero (portrayed by Raj Kapoor) takes the heroine (portrayed by Nargis) to a roadside tea stall. The ''chaiwala'' insists on receiving a payment of two annas (anna is 1/16th of a rupee) for the two cups. This scene serves as a prelude for the famous song "Pyar Hua Ikrar Hua", during which the chaiwala is shown sipping the tea from a saucer (
', the lead character, Jamal Malik (played by Dev Patel), is a chaiwala in an Indian call center.

In the UK TV sitcom '' It Ain’t Half Hot Mum'', Dino Shafeek plays the chai wallah Muhammad. Muhammed walks around the camp all day, selling tea from his urn. He also sings the musical interruptions between the scenes, which are mostly American hit songs, accompanied by a sitar. At the end of the credits, he starts to sing "Land of Hope and Glory" only to be interrupted by the Sergeant Major shouting "SHUT UP!!!". After Rangi leaves, he takes on the role of Bearer to the concert party, as well as still being the Chai Wallah.

Notable examples

The press has noted several successful chaiwalas: They include:

*Former Chief Minister of Bihar and Rashtriya Janata Dal Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav stated that he was once a chaiwala.
* Laxman Rao of Delhi, author of 24 books"New Delhi's most famous tea seller: Meet Laxman Rao, chaiwallah by day, author by night"
Firstpost. August 4, 2015.

*Current Prime Minister Narendra Modi was once a chaiwala.

See also

* Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012
*Tea lady, a similar occupation in Britain

References

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Indian tea
Gendered occupations
Indian castes by profession
Food services occupations
Catering
Tea culture by country
Culture of Pakistan
Pakistani cuisine