Tea with the Dead

New Lucky Restaurant, Ahmedabad(1)

image by gujaratonweb.com

Just an ordinary tearoom where many, mostly men, gather for there morning chai. As good as the food is, the charm and draw of the shop is the mystery of Muslim tombs scattered throughout the shop.

 

photo by OddityCentral.com

The owners do not know who is buried in their shop but they continue to offer incense, flowers and respect to the souls buried there.  There is an unproven theory that they could be  soldiers from the foreign side were killed in battle and buried where they fell  in a nearby battle near “the red door”. The graves would not be Hindu because of their practice of cremation of the dead.

 

Lucky-3

image by wwwBurrp.com

This is a picture of the most popular breakfast of  creamy spicy traditional Indian chai and the sticky-sweet maska bun jam.  Delicious it is!   Indians  pour the hot beverage into the sauce, swirl  it around to cool it,and then drink from the saucer.

lucky-tea-stall

bliihchronblog.com

Another unique feature of the shop is the  that as the shop grew, not only graves but also trees are now incorporated in Lucky.

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The final unique feature is that Lucky Tea Shop is the only one in the world with an original  by the painter called Indian Picasso, MF Hussain.  He was a die-hard Lucky fan  whose first stop in Amdavad would be Lucky Tea for his beloved chai.  He got to be friends with the owner and promised to paint something for one of the walls. The work was themed on the Arabian Nights, camels, palms trees in the desert.

Who would have thought that such an ordinary tea shop could hold such mystery?  Oh yes, this is Incredible India!

 

About annetbell

I am a retired elementary teacher, well seasoned world traveler,new blogger, grandmother, and a new enthusiastic discoverer of the wonderfully complex country of India. Anne
This entry was posted in Amdavad, Architecture, Religions of the World, Travel, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

33 Responses to Tea with the Dead

  1. Neeti says:

    Wow, this is quite interesting..

    Liked by 1 person

  2. …and this is in Ahmedabad? Amazing. Great story!

    Liked by 1 person

    • annetbell says:

      Yes, it is. Right in the center of the city on the edge of the Pols or old city. of Ahmedabad.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Everything was closed when I visited. Did you get to the textile museum seem to remember it was called the Calico Museum? Did you get there, and was it any good? Did you get to the step well. Amazing place.

        Liked by 1 person

      • annetbell says:

        When were you there? LOL, after two four month stays and we did not see the Calico Museum.Tthere are odd visiting hours

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      • Briefly a few months ago, but before that in 1997. In November we stayed at nearby Rann Riders in Gujarat…..lovely place for visiting the Rann of Kutch and tribal villages.

        Liked by 1 person

      • annetbell says:

        We spent a week in Rajasthan but never got to Kutchukian and the villages! Lucky you!

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      • annetbell says:

        It was across the city and we went and it was closed. I am sure there are lovely displays. There were lots of textiles made there. a was known as Manchester of India. Why were you in India? Where else did you visit? Did you have good experiences? I love the step-wells. We visited two in Amedabad and couple in other places.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Have been to India 7 times. In November I did the golden triangle Agra, Jaipur, Delhi, Varanasi, and then onto Pushkar which used to be a quiet place! And on to Udaipur which I like very much. Stayed at Rann Riders in Gujarat, a great place for the wildlife and tribal villages.
        Further south Karnataka is great as well as Kerala.
        Regards,
        John.

        Liked by 1 person

      • annetbell says:

        John, I was in India twice with my professor husband and architecture students. Jan-may in 2013 ands again in same months of 2015. We stayed in Ahmedabad for CEPT University and traveled for a month all over India. My favorite places are Varanasi and jalsalmer and Golden Templein Amritsir. Check blog during those months and years or if you tell me places I can find posts. I love Incredible India!

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      • Me too! Originally I took a school party to Goa in ’96 and then in ’97 toured for 6 weeks. Discovered Hampi and Badami and the Hosala period temples around Mysore. Now I go for street portraiture!

        Liked by 1 person

      • annetbell says:

        David’s students loved the beaches in Goa and we loved the Portuguese churches. We did many incredible temples in the south but the names you mentioned don’t sound familiar. Loved Pondicherry and Chennai. I am curious of the country you are from, if you don’t mind. What an education you gave those students! Did you do the caves at Alora? (sp)

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      • Alora I hope to visit one day. I worked in Stafford but we moved to SW Scotland when I retired. I can’t remember whether you have visited my blog, but there you will find many of my India photos, particularly those taken in October-November 2015.
        Regards, John.

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      • annetbell says:

        You photographs are breathtaking and I will visit more often. Have gotten lazy! This video was made by one of the boys in the first group. . . 2013 , if you have an interest and the time to watch!

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      • They clearly had a wonderful experience, thanks for the link Anne.

        Liked by 1 person

      • annetbell says:

        When are you going again to India?

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      • Possibly in March or April, though I have to save up first! Have friends in Kerala and that’s the likely destination.

        Liked by 1 person

      • annetbell says:

        Beautiful state but we found it expensive. And bus ride over the mountains was harrowing! But we all survived!

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      • Ah yes, some mountain roads are in poor condition, in fact going anywhere by road is often fraught. We drove up to Ooty and that was a never ending succession of broken roads.

        Liked by 1 person

      • annetbell says:

        But Mr. Modi had excellent roads in Gujurat. You can check out my posts on Mr. Modi. David called me Mr. Modi’s campaign manager but I never received my invitation on his visit to NYC! 😎

        Liked by 1 person

      • annetbell says:

        My husband has driven in all the countries we have visited , even Greece without the language, but no way in India. Students video taped while we were in rickshaws but nothing can compare to the actual rides!

        Liked by 1 person

  3. …..that’s of course, Stafford in the English Midlands…..and I gather that you live in the USA?

    Liked by 1 person

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