Travel back in time at Bhopal's oldest Chai shops

Monsoon and chai is a match made in heaven. And as a nod to this delectable combo – we decided to take a tour of Bhopal’s oldest tea shops this rainy season, where the five rupee-chai ki chuski is brimming with nostalgia and history.Once upon a time, these haunts were frequented by nawabs, spies and visitors far and wide. Today, they enjoy the reputation of landmark institutions, with people thronging them to experience traditional chai recipes and the heritage interiors.THE OLDEST CHAIWALLAHS OF PEER GATEThis shop is located on the road that connects the Moti Masjid and Peer Gate squares. The best time to visit this place is after 4 pm, because that’s when you also get to meet the oldest tea server here – Hamid Ali. A little hard of hearing and visuallyimpaired, Hamid still comes to the shop everyday after his afternoon prayers, and sits there till closing time. “Age is not a barrier for me, as this place keeps me rejuvenated.Even though my sons handle the shop now, since I established this place, my soul is in here,” he tells us. They still use the traditional method and utensils to make their famous namak-waali chai. “Unlike the other shops, which have new-age stoves and kettles, we still use the earthen pots to boil the tea in. Besides Bhopal’s namak-waali chai, we also serve tea without milk.” Back in the days, Hamid tells us, “Members of the royal family would drop by for a cup of tea, and to discuss matters that they couldn’t talk about within the palace premises.” Today, people from all over the city drop by for a special cup – which they insist on being prepared by Hamid himself, as “they don’t like the tea prepared by my sons”.EXPERIENCE THE NAMAKWAALI CHAI FROM THE ROYAL KITCHENS AT BUDHWARAThe traditional way of preparing namak-waali chai involves boiling tea leaves and water in one vessel, and milk in another. And that’s the method still followed at Mohamed Saleem’s shop today. Situated near the Kotwali police station, the place is filled with customers at all hours. A very busy Saleem tells us the story behind this landmark institution, while churning out a cup after the other. “I grew up watching my father preparing it and serving it.My father learnt the art of making namak-waali chai from his friends who worked in the royal kitchen,” he says, adding how he’s chosen to retain the 90s style of decor inside. “People appreciate the seating arrangement. The small tables and benches are still the same.”THE CHAI SHOP THAT WAS FREQUENTED BY NAWAB’S GUESTS AND SPIES IN SHAHJAHANABADRight from whispers about their love stories to the dark gossip surrounding the Nawabi family, this shop at Shahajanabad has witnessed it all. Owner Mohammad Rafiq says, “People use to travel from far and wide to visit the nawab, and would drop by our shop to wait for their turn to meet him. Apart from this, my grandfather told us that a lot of secret messengers came here to exchange news. Along with tea, we also serve cookies made of rava and sugar.We make it according to the traditional recipe that hasn’t changed all these years. I haven’t renovated the shop either, because I didn’t wanted it to lose its essence.”THE FIRST CHAI SHOP OF JEHANGIRABADThis chai shop is situated on one of the busiest roads of the city. The narrow lane is crammed with patrons and vehicles at all hours of the day and night. Sitting behind the counter and observing the hustle-bustle, Ansar Khan tells us that at one point, this shop was surrounded by nothing but the jungle and kaccha roads. Established by Qadar Khan in 1930, and then managed by his son Bahadur Khan, today the counter of this shop is run by the third generation of the family – Ansar, who tells us the stories narrated to him by his grandfather.“Back then, the nawab sahab’s tanga (carriage) used to pass by our shops, and he would often stop to have a cup of our Sulemani tea or the namak-waali chai,” he says. Today, over 200 people visits the shop, which has become a landmark. “I have served guests from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Dubai and USA. Nowadays, bloggers and vloggers often come by here to record and shoot the place. This actually used to be one of Bhopal’s most dangerous areas once upon a time. There were days when we couldn’t pull up the shutters because of the activities that went on back then. However, now things have changed.”Pics- Vishesh Sharma