<p>There was heartening news in newspapers that having been elbowed out by more utilitarian plastic and paper cups over the years at railway stations, 'kulhads' (earthen pots/cups), introduced by former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav 15 years ago, were all set to make a comeback at catering units from July, 2019. But as you know, such a decision often doesn't translate into precise implementation in India, or takes ages to be implemented! The same is the case with plastic cups paving the way for earthen pots.</p>.<p>However, I must say that Lalu had his fingers on the pulse of the masses. Tea tastes the best when it's sipped from a kulhad. The pleasant smell—similar to the pleasant smell of the soil after the first drizzles— emanating from a fresh kulhad, coupled with tea's earthy aroma can't be replicated by pouring it in fancy porcelain, plastic or paper cups. There's a desirably quaint rusticity to tea. One can immediately relate to tea to a T. It's, therefore, aptly called the 'broth of the masses' or 'beverage of the people.'</p>.<p>You may be aware that the two finest tea estates in the world, Darjeeling's Makaibari and Castleton, taste their premium tea by sipping it from kulhad. All discerning tea-tasters know that the proven criterion of judging the tea quality is to pour it into kulhad and then sip — nay, quaff — like wine.</p>.<p>One more thing in the favour of tea in a kulhad is that it's also an indication of acceptance in social communication in some communities across the world. This is because the tea itself is a relatable beverage. When served in a kulhad, it becomes an icing on the cake!</p>.<p>By the way, fancy tea kiosks at Lavasa, India's first private city near Pune, serve piping hot tea in a designer kulhad. They look so beautiful that after sipping tea from them, the tourists carry them home as souvenirs and pieces of decoration! Yours truly had tea in a designer kulhad at Lavasa and shelled out a hefty sum. But I'm not regretting.</p>.<p>It's, therefore, time to reintroduce earthen cups everywhere, at least for tea. The nostalgic aroma will come back again. Lalu Prasad Yadav must be smiling in the prison. Some pearls of Lalu-brand raw wisdom never lose their relevance. And they mustn't.</p>
<p>There was heartening news in newspapers that having been elbowed out by more utilitarian plastic and paper cups over the years at railway stations, 'kulhads' (earthen pots/cups), introduced by former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav 15 years ago, were all set to make a comeback at catering units from July, 2019. But as you know, such a decision often doesn't translate into precise implementation in India, or takes ages to be implemented! The same is the case with plastic cups paving the way for earthen pots.</p>.<p>However, I must say that Lalu had his fingers on the pulse of the masses. Tea tastes the best when it's sipped from a kulhad. The pleasant smell—similar to the pleasant smell of the soil after the first drizzles— emanating from a fresh kulhad, coupled with tea's earthy aroma can't be replicated by pouring it in fancy porcelain, plastic or paper cups. There's a desirably quaint rusticity to tea. One can immediately relate to tea to a T. It's, therefore, aptly called the 'broth of the masses' or 'beverage of the people.'</p>.<p>You may be aware that the two finest tea estates in the world, Darjeeling's Makaibari and Castleton, taste their premium tea by sipping it from kulhad. All discerning tea-tasters know that the proven criterion of judging the tea quality is to pour it into kulhad and then sip — nay, quaff — like wine.</p>.<p>One more thing in the favour of tea in a kulhad is that it's also an indication of acceptance in social communication in some communities across the world. This is because the tea itself is a relatable beverage. When served in a kulhad, it becomes an icing on the cake!</p>.<p>By the way, fancy tea kiosks at Lavasa, India's first private city near Pune, serve piping hot tea in a designer kulhad. They look so beautiful that after sipping tea from them, the tourists carry them home as souvenirs and pieces of decoration! Yours truly had tea in a designer kulhad at Lavasa and shelled out a hefty sum. But I'm not regretting.</p>.<p>It's, therefore, time to reintroduce earthen cups everywhere, at least for tea. The nostalgic aroma will come back again. Lalu Prasad Yadav must be smiling in the prison. Some pearls of Lalu-brand raw wisdom never lose their relevance. And they mustn't.</p>