Every neighbourhood in Kerala has that ubiquitous chayakkada (tea shop). Over here people bond over several cups of tea [and coffee], discussing everything from politics to family.
At Chinthya - Oru Chayakkada run by K Chandran near Raja Kesavadas NSS Higher Secondary School, Sasthamangalam, customers are connected through the day, not just over tea. Chandran’s huge clientele over the last three decades has led to the formation of several WhatsApp groups and friends’ collectives comprising his faithful customers. Morning Friends, Oru Chaya Koottayma (OCK) and Chandrankadayile Chayakoottayma are some of the groups.
“Some of us have known each other from childhood and thanks to Chandran’s shop our friendship is intact,” says Abdul Shukkoor, former Deputy Transport Commissioner and a member of Morning Friends, with over 30 members.
The shop is open from 5am till 8pm on weekdays (on Sundays it closes by 10am). The first to arrive are batches of morning walkers. “Evenings are crowded. People come from even other parts of the city to have his tea,” say G Gopakumar and Ramachandran Nair, members of Morning Friends.
Besides catching up with each other at the outlet daily, the groups hold get-togethers and outings. Each of them held Onam celebrations separately. Morning Friends felicitated 58-year-old Chandran during the celebrations held at his shop. One of them calls the location ‘Chandrankadamukku’ (‘mukku’ means a junction).
Meeting point
Formed last year, OCK has limited its membership to 19, says OCK secretary Kumar A, a government employee. There is a monthly subscription fee for members and it will soon be registered as a society. They meet on the third Friday of every month. “From 5.30am onwards our members are at Chandran’s place after a morning walk. Besides hanging out together, we have organised charity drives,” adds another OCK member, Radhakrishnan M, an Income Tax and GST practitioner.
Chandran says that he is overwhelmed by how his space has brought together people from different walks of life: politicians, government servants, lawyers, software professionals, students, daily wage labourers... “These collectives keep me optimistic and energetic,” he says.
Additional Advocate General K P Jayachandran, a member of Morning Friends, adds: “I work in Ernakulam but whenever I come to my home in Sasthamangalam, I am at Chandran’s shop from 8am to 10am without fail. And I always get my special tea!” Benedicta SF, an entrepreneur, adds: “Whether I have the morning tea at my home or not, Chandran’s tea and this camaraderie can’t be missed.”
Frequent customers emphasise that Chandran remembers how each of them like their tea or coffee. “We don’t have to remind him every time,” says Anilkumar V, a former government employee, who visits with his wife, Mini CL, deputy director, Department of Agriculture.
Chandran’s father used to run a tea shop in the city and after his death, it was left to Chandran, then a school boy, to earn for his family. “We are 12 siblings and being the eldest of the brothers, the onus was on me to find a job. Although I tried to balance my studies and my work, I couldn’t clear my Pre-degree and didn’t study further. I began working with my brother-in-law at his tea shop and, gradually, I started enjoying it. But I never expected it to garner so much attention to the extent of people felicitating me,” says Chandran.
The shop is named after his daughter Chinthya, a.k.a. Ananya Gouri Chandran, a student of Medicine. Chandran has three employees, in addition to his brother, Ajikumar, to help him.
A highlight of the place, Mini points out, is the collection of periodicals that Chandran stocks. “You can find books on a wide variety of topics, all purchased by him. There are Government of India publications, newspapers and periodicals for those appearing for competitive exams. Dr Mithun Premraj, who cracked the UPSC last year, was a regular here while attending coaching classes in the city. When he cleared the examination, Chandran gave him a gift,” says Mini.
Sasthamangalam Mohan, a former ward councillor, and a regular at the shop, mentions that Chandran keeps a tab on current issues. “As we all follow different political ideologies, we often have heated political arguments at the shop and Chandran is the one who starts it, that too when he is busy making tea,” he says, adding, “But none of us knows which political party he supports!”
