Jaipur's old city is built in a single shade of terracotta pink — a decree of the Maharaja, to honour the visit of Prince Albert in 1876, that the city has maintained ever since. Against those ochre walls, the brass bhagonas of chai wallahs catch the morning light, and the steam from simmering spiced tea drifts through the lanes like incense.
Rajasthani chai is uncompromising. The desert climate — cold nights, scorching days — has shaped a culture of intensely spiced, heavily sweetened tea that warms in winter and paradoxically cools in the dry summer heat.
Hawa Mahal: The Original Chai Stop
The Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) fronts directly onto the old city bazaar, its 953 latticed windows rising five storeys above the street. The chai stalls directly opposite are some of Jaipur's most atmospheric — you drink your kulhad looking up at one of the most photographed facades in India while cycle-rickshaws and motorbikes weave past.
The vendors here make their chai in the Rajasthani style: a heavy hand with cardamom, a touch of black pepper, and saffron in the premium versions — a nod to Rajasthan's role as India's primary saffron producer (though most production comes from Kashmir, Rajasthan has its own tradition).
Johari Bazaar and the Spice Market
The jewellery bazaar of Johari Bazaar runs deep into the old city. The spice section at its northern end is where you can buy the exact blend of masala that goes into Jaipur's street chai — dried ginger, green cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, clove. Many vendors will grind a custom mix for you on the spot.
The chai stalls adjacent to the spice market make chai with extraordinary freshness — the spices are ground within metres of where the tea is brewed, and the difference in flavour is detectable.
Chai at the City Palace
The City Palace complex houses Jaipur's royal family (still in partial residence) and is one of Rajasthan's finest architectural achievements. The museum café within the complex serves a refined version of Rajasthani masala chai — more delicate than the street version, served in small ceramic cups with a side of ghevar (a disc-shaped Rajasthani sweet made with ghee and sugar syrup).
For the full experience, drink your chai in the Chandra Mahal courtyard in the late afternoon when the light turns the palace walls a deep amber.
Chai Bazaar Near Tripolia Gate
The lanes near Tripolia Gate — the main ceremonial entrance to the City Palace — are lined with traditional chai shops that have operated for generations. The owner of one famous stall near the gate (he refuses to give his name to journalists, he says, because then too many people come) makes a chai with 11 spices that locals queue for from 6am.
“📍 North IndiaRajasthan's chai is the desert's answer to the cold — every sip a small act of survival, sweetened and spiced into something approaching joy.