Delhiwale: Beyond the merely picturesque

The monument is very old, but the sight is very new

The monument is very old, but the sight is very new. The tea stall outside the walls of Jama Masjid in Old Delhi appeared only recently. Here the historic quarter, with all its clutter and chaos, has arranged itself into a picturesque frame. Nothing in the scene appears arranged, yet everything is in its place. So Purani Dilli!

Delhiwale: Beyond the merely picturesque

The hand-painted signboard announces Haider Tea Stall in Hindi beneath the drawing of a steaming kettle. Above the stall spreads a dense canopy of pink bougainvilleas that almost hides the roof. The southern minaret of Jama Masjid rises behind the flowers. Beside the bougainvillea, the bare branches of a dead tree reach into the sky.

The stall’s signboard illustration carries the familiar grace associated with the work of Shakeel Artist, whose brush has painted countless shops and lanes across the old city. Stall owner Haider, however, cannot remember who painted the board. This afternoon, a customer studies the lettering closely, and with the air of an art connoisseur, declares it to be the work of Shakeel Artist.

Haider had opened the stall a few months ago after years spent working at tea stalls, most recently on nearby Chatta Sheikh Mangloo street. One of the first things he did was have his name painted across the counter. The journey to this stall began far from Delhi.

A row of parked scooters partly blocks the view of the stall. Customers must squeeze between the two-wheelers to reach the stall. Pouring tea into a paper cup, Haider says, “I worked hard, now I have my own tea stall.” The schoolboy gives a silent thumbs up to his father.