Lakshmi Chai Wale

Lakshmi Chai Wale sits on a corner in Bulanala with a heavy iron kettle permanently perched over a coal fire. Every morning before dawn, the shop owner starts the coals to slow-boil milk until it thickens into a rich, creamy base for tea. Locals crowd the narrow street here for glasses of this chai, served piping hot in small clay cups. It draws people from across the city who wait in line to watch the specific process of skimming the bubbling milk.