​Chai Piyenge? A tiny storm in your tea cup!

Ask anyone and they would tell you that ‘chai’ is the single-syllable word for spiced milk tea in India. But come to think about it, chai is more than just a word. After all, none of those memories of frosty December mornings are complete without a cup of hot and steaming chai snuggled between your chilly hands. Just like none of those tired evenings after work look like conquerable battles if not for the aromatic chai prepared in almost no time. Not to mention, the best conversations with friends and family have always started and ended with the announcement of another round of delightful chai. That is why in India, chai is more than just a hot beverage prepared with sugared milk and tea leaves — it is an intricate idea of love and belonging that’s beyond all definitions. So, it’s no surprise that the motto of the online chai delivery service, Chai Point, is “India Runs on Chai”. Because guess what, it truly does.

With a number of fancy offline chai cafes and dedicated online portals that promise sizzling, home-delivered chai at any time of the day, it is certain that chai is not going out of fashion. Not now, not ever. What’s more, selling chai is also becoming an appealing entrepreneurial option for more and more youngsters. Keeping in mind your undying love for chai, we have come up with this list of happening chai parlors and online chai delivery services in Delhi, exclusively for you:

1. Chaayos

Launched in November 2012, Chaayos rightfully calls itself a ‘contemporary interpretation of the chai adda’. It serves freshly prepared chai within minutes, along with a wide range of options to choose from. With three outlets in Gurgaon—DLF Cyber City, Galleria Market and Unitech Infospace, and two more in Noida—DLF IT Park, IHDP Business Park, Chaayos is quickly becoming famous among people of all age groups who love to discuss everything from society and politics to celebrity gossip over chai. The outlet has the option of 12 add-ons, including mint, kaali mirch, saunf etc. and offers its customers more than 12,000 ways to make their chai at Chaayos. So be it an Adrak Tulsi Kadak chai or a Paani Kam Elaichi chai, or your very own Meri Wali Chai, Chaayos knows what you need, and knows it too well!

(Photo Credit: timescity.com, Chaayos)

2. Cha Bar

Located inside the Oxford Bookstore in Connaught Place, Cha Bar offers more than 150 varieties of chai to its customers, as they immerse themselves in stories and poems of their favorite writers. From Organic Teas, Herbal Teas, Diet Teas, and Fruit Teas, to a wide range of Darjeeling, Nilgiri, Sikkim and even Oolong teas, Cha Bar serves the best of Sri Lankan, Arabic, South African, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Moroccan, and Thai teas. You can’t help smiling to yourself as the menu boasts of a certain ‘Bollywood Masala Mix Cha’ or the ‘Truck Drivers 100 Mile Ki Cha’. So next time the Desi bookworm in you craves for some good time with books and a steamy cup of chai, Cha Bar is the place to go!

(Photo credit: Shikhar Jaiswal, Cha Bar, CP)

3. Chai Point

Established in April 2010 with an aim to provide delicious and hygienic chai in Bangalore, the company has opened many more Chai Point outlets throughout the country, including several in the NCR region itself, including areas like Nehru Place, DLF Cyber City (Gurgaon) and Saket among others. The most appealing aspect of Chai Point is its online delivery service ‘Chai on Call’, which ensures a hot cup of aromatic tea at your doorstep. With a cozy ambience and a variety of chai flavors available, Chai Point is one of the favorite hangout places for youngsters and middle-aged people alike. Chai Point also provides high-quality chai to corporates with their CHAI@Work service. So, order your chai now!

(Photo Credit: fineartamerica.com, Mitesh Bhuvad)

4. Jugmug Thela

Founded by a designer who decided to put his design talents to a pleasantly surprising use, Jugmug Thela is a mobile tea stall which aims at putting the original tea shop, or chai ki dukaan, back on the map. Launched in 2013 near Chattarpur Metro Station, the Thela became an instant success and continues to be a sought-after place for many. But more than selling chai, Jugmug Thela is a noble initiative that is trying to tweak the urban sense and sensibility towards the local chaiwalas of the nation, by posting personal stories of chaiwalas from all over Delhi on their popular Facebook page. They also have an active online delivery service.

(Photo Credit: myideavision.blogspot.in)