There is a particular magic to drinking chai on the ghats of Varanasi at dawn. The Ganges is impossibly still. Temple bells ring somewhere across the water. A chai wallah materialises from the mist with a tray of clay kulhads — small earthenware cups that give the chai an unmistakeable mineral warmth.
This is chai as ritual, not refreshment.
The Kulhad Tradition
The kulhad (also spelled kulhar) is an unglazed terracotta cup, shaped by hand on a potter's wheel. In Varanasi — and across much of North India — chai is always served in kulhads at the ghats.
There are two reasons: the clay keeps the chai warm longer than glass, and the slightly porous walls absorb a trace of earthen mineral flavour that you simply cannot replicate in any other vessel.
After finishing, you are expected to smash the kulhad on the ground. This is not rudeness — it is tradition. Each kulhad is single-use; the fragments return to the earth.
Where to Drink Chai in Varanasi
Assi Ghat is the southernmost major ghat and the most laid-back. The chai wallahs here set up before sunrise and the atmosphere is contemplative rather than touristy.
Dashashwamedh Ghat is the main ghat and the most lively — chai here accompanies the famous evening Ganga Aarti ceremony. Arrive by 5pm to find a good spot.
Manikarnika Ghat is the burning ghat, and the chai here — sold by a handful of permanent vendors — is surprisingly excellent. The experience is sobering and profound.
The Chai Itself
Varanasi chai leans heavily on ginger — the river damp seems to demand it. Sugar is added generously and the milk ratio is high, making it thick, rich, and warming in a way that thin northern teas never are.
“📍 North IndiaSome mornings in Varanasi, a chai at dawn on the ghats feels like the most important thing you have ever done.