The walled-city bazaar of Jaipur — the Pink City — feels like paradise for visitors. There is the buzz of shopping on one side and the aroma of irresistible local flavours drifting from every corner on the other. A big part of that charm is the city's tea, which people sip and savour at all hours. Names like Gulabi Ji chai and Sahu ki chai sit right at the top of the list, but hidden in these crowded markets are a few tea sellers who win hearts with their own special touch.
One such spot is the Raghuveer Sharan Tea Stall in Tripolia Bazaar. People don't just come here for a cup of tea — they climb up to the rooftop to take in the sweeping view of the Pink City's market below. Across the entire walled-city bazaar, this is the only shop that serves up the city's most beautiful panorama along with its chai, free of charge.
A cup that comes with calm
The real draw of this stall is its view. As people sit on the rooftop and sip their tea, the hustle of the market and the lovely scenery settle into their minds like a lasting memory. That is exactly why visitors say they come here not just for the tea, but in search of peace and quiet of mind.
The view in every season makes the tea special
Raghuveer Sharan, who has been brewing tea here for years, tells TrendKia that people love the beautiful view far more than the tea itself. Lost in the charm of the market while sipping, a person feels a different kind of joy for a little while. No matter how much stress or worry someone is carrying, he says, the moment they sit here with a cup of chai they feel a strange sense of calm and comfort.
It isn't only the young who turn up, Raghuveer adds. Elderly people who spent their entire lives working in these very Jaipur markets come too — and when they sit down here for a cup of tea, their old memories come flooding back.
Kulhad chai for just 15 rupees
Raghuveer Sharan tells TrendKia that he makes his tea in the most ordinary way. There is no show, no claim of any "special" brew. The tea here is made just like it would be at home, and perhaps it is this simplicity that makes it so well loved. The kulhad chai, priced at just 15 rupees, keeps pulling people back for more.
The crowd of tea lovers on the rooftop is often so large that there isn't enough room for everyone to sit. So many people stand and soak in the gorgeous view of the market instead. It is in the morning and evening that the bazaar of the Pink City looks its most beautiful from up here, and it is precisely this sight that brings people in.
Raghuveer Sharan says that while every lane and corner of the walled-city bazaar has a tea shop of its own, it is the view from here that people love the most. That is why locals and tourists alike — many travelling from far away — are drawn here to enjoy both the taste of the tea and the stunning view.
