Krishna Chai, Bundi

Krishna Ji has a chai shop about five minutes from the Bundi Fort. You'll find him there with a big smile. If you don't, you can just remove your shoes and sit at his shop. When you sit there, you'll see his number on the board. Call him.

His home is right opposite the shop. He'll greet you with a big smile.

A hand holding a postcard painted by Krishna Ji's brother, in front of the colourful Krishna's Chai mural

The Man Behind the Chai

He's an honest guy. Honest with his art (making chai) and with his devotion to Shiv Ji, and with his love for bhang. Well, bhang too is devotion for Shiv Ji, I suppose. He takes some bhang every night, and also has a magic tea which he sells.

Krishna tells me all he asks from Shiva is to keep him happy, to keep him smiling. He doesn't ask for wealth or anything else. He tells me that karam (which translates to action) is what we have to do, and money will come. He further says he doesn't need much money, only enough to buy rotis and sabji.

Krishna Ji's chai shop near Bundi Fort: a quiet, unhurried spot unlike anything in the cities

He recently went on a Chaar Dham Yatra. He hated the chai there, so he didn't have chai for multiple days, until he came to a restaurant where he said he'd like to make chai himself and would pay extra for the same. He made some chai there. He had carried his own masala, gathered from multiple places across India.

How He Works

He never sells. He just mentions that if you'd like, you can check something out. He made me look at the postcards. His brother paints them.

He made me look at his dinner menu, right at the end of the menu card. His wife cooks the dinner.

The view from Krishna Chai's shop, steps away from the Bundi Fort wall

He finds it too hot these days, so he rests at his house, and if somebody calls him, he comes and brews a fresh cup of hot chai. Nothing is premade.

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Rating: Not applicable. Some places are beyond ratings.

Part of the Iconic Chai Stops of India series.