Creamers, Kulhad’s & Dip Dip Chai

I knew I was in India ! When I saw the Kulhad’s, the road side “LOO’s” and the “chai garam’. Well when the ministry was announced we were in UK for a month of training-this is the time when Mr. Laloo literally blackmailed himself as the Railways Minister.
We did hear in London and on BBC that very soon there will be a special drink in the railways and instead of hygienic cold drinks we will be forced to drink “Laloo cola” – that’s what all my English friends teased me about, and we further heard that the hygienic plastic and thermacool cups were going to be replaced by “Kulhad’s” – I did not believe this and then I landed back to my beloved India a few days later. The humid heat of Delhi hit me and the black and yellow ratteling taxi took me from the airport toNew Delhi station at 3 am. I had to catch the Shatabdi to Agra – well I did catch the train and came the morning newspaper H. T. and the morning tea – A nicely covered tray with sealed packet containing “Dairy Creamer”, “equal”, ‘sugar’ satches and two Earl gray of London tea bags, a clean plastic spoon, two cookies and yes a “Kulhad” – freshly washed smelling of “mere desh ki dharti” – Oh my god – wake up doc ! You are back in India and “Kulhads” are the in things here.
Hot water, creamer, equal, dip dip chai and Kulhad’s, made a great cup of tea with fresh mud flavours, even the air had a muddy smell of fresh rains – The monsoon is finally coming, my neighbour in formed me.
Well the “kulhad-dip dip chai” was served again – I asked the waiter when will he give us the “Laloo cola” – ?
Laloo also reminds us of the railway LOO’s which have been renamed as La Loo’s a like in French. Looking out of the window some where near Mathura as the train slowed I saw the La Loo’s. It is a sight to watch, thousands of bottoms lined up on the railway lines with bisileri bottles next to them, not kulhad’s       – this is India, ‘mera bharat mahan’ a big LA LOO.

By Dr. Narendra Malhotra