On the Chai trail in Delhi

Tea Tourism is “the” thing in the tea gardens of Assam, Ooty, Kerala, Kangra….. Tea tourism or tea shopping / hopping in Delhi offers a vignette of another kind. Not only does one get to taste tea from across the country and abroad but also interact with connoisseurs who run the tea shop, who are gold mine of information. Several of them also offer infused teas, variations additions…. Have informal chat, stock up on tea, learn how to brew the variety, go back in time as each of these shop hark to a bygone era when etiquette, quality and lifestyle ruled and well maintain it today with a comfortable contemporary elan. What adds to the experience is the well versed, well informed patrons or owners who won’t tire of explaining the teas to you. Also pick traditional brewing vessels, tea accessories, cups and more….above all enjoy the experience. Some of those listed here may not be “the typically uppity ones, but are wholesalers and believe me, their knowledge is incomparable.  So what are you waiting for Chart your own Chai tourism, your cuppa overflowth or your mild tea tourism.

Chayoos has become very popular. There are a number of Chai shops outside ITO, the HT Building on K G Marg, near JNU hostles.  , There are plenty of dedicated tea bars, tea parlours, special tea shops in Delhi….

We are compiling a list, if you know of some..do let us know….

Rafoogars - The magic of the darners

We reached a milestone with 100 posts, yes after years…regular writing makes achieving these milestones easier!!!

In this little piece, I take a look at the humble Rafoogars that can be seen in most markets. They were a regular sight once upon a time. Today, they can be seen though in not so much quantity. Rafoogars can be called darners, who repair good clothes which has worn out or tore out. They can darn anything from woollen, cotton, silk, georgette, chiffon…you name it and they can darn it for you. The process of darning is difficult. I have written about in detail in my www.armchairtextile journey

The Rafoogar, matches the thread, of the cloth and his fingers work the magic and voila, the little tear is no longer there. Or that heirloom saree or shawl has been beautiful restored. There services are used by restorers also. A tale told to me by my neighbourhood Dry Cleaner was how in the 70s, these rafoogars were called to restore old pashmina. Understanding the value of the old piece, they restored and often bought it at throw away prices from the women of the house. They also bartered newer pashmina for the old ones. Soon, many left the Rafoogari profession and moved into the business of buying and restoring old textiles and selling them. Though they say that Rafoogari is a dying art, I am not convinced, there are plenty of rafoogars and one needs to just look for them.

Timings – Usually the market timings – 10 am to 6 pm. They may not be working after 5 pm, given it starts getting dark,

Where – The easiest find for a Rafoogar is to look for them near a Drycleaner shop. Most are attached to a Dryclearner shop. Or you could ask you the local Drycleaner and they will invariable refer you to one!!

Highlights – It is a pleasure watching them work. That is if you are a textile lover. In a matter of time, the tear can just disappear and you will have to search to figure out where it was.

Insider tip – They understand the value of their work and the value of the fabric so their services do not come cheap! Rightly so, such skill with so much strain to the eyes, is a premium one. There are some very well known Rafoogars in Delhi – Old Delhi and Mehrauli. I will post interviews with them as I go along.