A Cup of Chai At Dhabas:Purani Chungi to Shamshad Market of Aligarh.

A Cupp of Garam Chai—From a Street Chai Dhaba at Purani Chungi (Aligarh Muslim University-Aligarh) ---It boosts confidence of Aligs.

Mere khoon main josh bhare ye chai,

mere armanon ko hosh de ye chai,

For Aligarians, Every time is Tea Time--- Tea, after meals, Tea after lunch and dinner is almost like a tradition.One who doesn't have tea is looked down upon.

It is disgraceful, shameful and very Un-Aligarian not to have tea at all.

Dhabas at Purani Chungi to Shamshad market of Aligarh are place for Aligs to sit with friends for hours, passing time on gossips, local university politics to debate on serious topics.This at a cost of simply a cupp of chai.

Purani Chungi is most favored place among Aligarh Muslim University Students community. Purani Chungi is at crossing of roads running between Qila to University campus and Kath pulla to Anoopshahar.

It is just at few hundred Meters away from Arts Faculty. The beauties of these Dhabas are--- Students who come from diverse backgrounds sit at one place. Dhabas are like second home to students.

These Dhaba culture is an integral part in day to day life of any Aligarian. However as an Alig: you would always love to sit at Dhaba rather than spending money in a five star hotel.

 Perhaps it were evenings at these, that inspired poet Majaz to compose, ‘Har Sham Hai Sham e Misr Yahan (Every Evening Here Is Like An Evening In Egypt)’ in his famous tribute to his alma mater. This tribute is now sung as the anthem of the university.

One can find a crowd of students at any dhaba almost any time of the day.The chai and gossiping never ends. Many students spend a quarter of the day at the chai Dhabas. New visitor would find this place very filthy and unorganized. Cycles, scooters and rickshaws ply on the road almost round the clock.

When Aligarians are asked about the kind of Tea they would prefer, one can get a common answer - "kam Shakar, Tez Patti" which means strong Tea with less sugar in it.

“Chotu chai Lao” ---The most memorable words heard by an ‘Alig’ are “Chotu chai Lao” which is how students order tea at dhabas. These chotus are youngest at Dhabas and have special importance in Dhabas .They run with tea cups from chair to chair with smile.

These chotus and Dhaba owners hardly do any discrimination with students on the basis of one’s age or degree.

He calls everybody as ‘Dr Sahib’, no matter if that Dr Customer is yet to clear his SSC exams.Ironically at playing and schooling age they play with tea cups. Some chotus are the only earning member of their family.

These tea-sipping and chatting sessions run from early morning to late in the night. And this dhaba culture is said to be as old as the establishment of the university as Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College in 1875.

Have a stroll in campus from Shamshad Market to Purani chungi. You will find major part of the market resting under the shades of Banyan trees.

This dhaba culture has been a sine qua non of AMU campus life. AMU alumni, more colloquially known as ‘Old Boys’, often reminisce about their time spent in these dhabas.

Conclusion

Sir Sayed's soul must have suffered a lot when in the name of this stated tradition and culture, Aligs use to go in the market ,in these dhabas wearing kurta-pajama, lower and sleepers.They use to go to class room wearing sandals, slippers, walk in hostels wearing half pants.

Eat in canteen, dhabas, tea, snacks, without paying money. On the dhabas, they take out each other's evils and spend time on them. Is this the identity of being Alig? Mud Smirching over each other and say that we are Aligs and we are proud of it.

Author of this blog feels pain as, when he counts no of students, who successfully competed Union Public Service Commission; State Public Service Commission Exams are less than 1% among 30,000 students.

Aligs: Continue to dream big and believing in them. Increase your input by cracking class one Gazetted Officers,State Gazetted officers, Indian Forest Services, high class technocrats and much more.

How many Aligs have a vision of what the world is going to be in the coming decades? We badly need to raise our standards.

As an old Student of A.M.U.Aligarh,author has observed that most of Students Union elected and non elected members later on ,at some time becomes Andh Bhakt of any political parties.

After joining political parties, they follow the guide line of their political bosses.These intellectual highly educated,big dreamer students. 

Once upon a time,were torch bearer with an ideology,a dream to serve the Nation,to serve their Samaj becomes slave ,puppet of ideologies of political parties.They do,what that political parties say.

It is true that students of A.M.U.Aligarh have always saved not only our ALMA MATER at every crisis, they voiced and faught for good cause of community.Many good new students leadership too has emerged, during present crises.

So they must lead community and Nation, without joing any political parties as their Andh Bhakt.

Gain knowledge, avoid sitting aimlessly for hours in these dhabas. If we believe in our dreams, we really affirm that we know Allah is going to help.

I am finishing this blog by reciting few lines from University Trana:

Jo abr yahaṅ se utthega, wo sarey jahaṅ par barsega

Har jooy-e-rawaṅ par barsega, har koh-e-garaṅ par barsega

Har sarw-o-saman par barsega, har dasht-o-daman par barsega

Khud apne chaman par barsega, ghairoṅ ke chaman par barsega

Har shahr-e-tarab par garjega, har qasr-e-tarab par kadkega

Ye abr hamesha barsa hai, ye abr hamesha barsega.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are author’s own.He does’t mean to hurt AMU Fraternity.

The End