Kolkata Cha Waala Coaster

Kolkata’s cha-waala culture stems from the British colonial era, evolving from elite tea consumption to a 19th-century street tradition where vendors served boiled milk-tea, often with spices, in traditional, eco-friendly clay cups (bhands or kulhads). These roadside stalls are central to the city’s social fabric, providing, from dawn until 2 am, a space for dialogue, political debate, and cultural gathering.