Cha, Poetry, and Adda by Riddhima Sen
Tea cabins primarily originated in early 20th-century Bengal. What exactly comes to your mind when you hear the term ‘tea cabin' and ‘poetry’? For a Bengali, it might bring back a lot of memories and nostalgia. Before cafes became a thing in Kolkata, with almost each and every street filled with a café, even gullies and tea cabins were the go-to for short addas and a warm cup of tea on slogging weekdays and as weekend hangout spots too. As per one of my acquaintances and a close friend, tea cabins remind her of hot tea in a cup in a tiny cabin. Telebhaja, or fish fry, accompanied the piping hot cup of ‘cha'. Favorite Cabin was established in 1918 by brothers Nutan Chandra Barua and Gaur Chandra Barua. The cabin functioned for over centuries before finally closing in 2023 amid a rising upsurge in the number of cafes. Favorite Cabin evolved from a simple breakfast hub to a hotbed of political and cultural unrest in undivided Bengal. Its heyday was during the freedom struggle of...
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