In India, tea was sold at public places in plastic cups for several years until everyone realized that the plastic or styrofoam cups were difficult to dispose of and were ultimately creating huge piles of garbage everywhere.
To overcome this problem, the government started promoting the use of clay cups. These cups were easy to manufacture and use and also ultimately could be decomposed easily without the menace of heaps of garbage. These cups were called Kulhads meaning small pottery.
This also promoted employment to a large number of potters who would make these clay cups or Kulhads all by hand. The cottage industry for Kulhads flourished soon and thousands of unemployed people undertook this self-employment. As a result, the price reduced drastically and the clay cups became popular. The Kulhads were easy to use though they appeared crude and not so stylish.
Now the Kulhads are used just about everywhere and came to symbolize as the poor man’s quick sip of tea on the move. So they were used in road-side tea stalls, at the railway station and bus stations.
As time passed, people caught fancy of these clay cups, and soon terracotta cups started appearing in large superstores and malls. These cups looked exactly like the clay cups and were costly. The cups are now a symbol of style and sophistication. The new terracotta cups are no longer crude or rough. They have a polish and are neatly showcased and packaged. The Kulhads are now available online as well.
So what started as a humble and low-cost replacement for the potentially dangerous plastic cups have made their way to the tables of the rich and well-off. Life has come full circle for both tea-lovers and the Kulhads alike.
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Hi @TusharSuradkar Sir,
Great article as ever. Although these terracotta cups have replaced the original potter’s cups, the charm of latter can’t be ignored.
I just love drinking tea and malai-lassi on those potter clay cups. 
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Hi, buddy.
Thanks for mentioning lassi in Kulhad @Tushar18 .
Yes, lassi was consumed in kulhads before the tea-in-kulhad trend caught on.
~Greetings from New Delhi
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Well nothing less can be spoken about chai and now you drink it in kulhad , no words .
I just love having chai in Kulhad
Thanks for sharing this @TusharSuradkar @
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Thanks @NarenChandra
Now they have improvised further, Chai is now served in kulhads baked in tandoor.
Search for any such joints in Bengaluru, we have a few such joints out here in Delhi NCR.
Which part of Bangalore are you living after migrating here?
~Greetings from New Delhi
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Yes @TusharSuradkar I live near HAL Museum , near my place there is a store of Tandori cha , yest they heat that kulhad in tandoor and it is way super cool .
You seems to a person of adventure , Lots of places and information
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That’s a cool place to live in Bangalore @NarenChandra
I lived a bit farther near Kundalahalli gate but passed every day in front of the HAL museum on way to office to MG Road.
I have been to the HAL museum and what an impressive collection…!
I especially like the avenue in front of the museum on the main road where there are trees lining both sides of the road forming a dense canopy for about 2-3 kilometers.
Also, when time permits, visit the Vishweshwaraiya Museum, it’s huge and the variety of objects is mind-boggling. There’s also a nice aquarium adjacent to it.
You are right, destiny took me to several places as part of job Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and only Hyderabad is remaining which will qualify me to have touched-the-tops as they say 
I am impressed with your score on Google Maps. I find it quite challenging to include lot of small businesses.
There are hundreds of these in my neighborhood out here in Delhi that are not even listed but approaching them is a challenge.
You got it right about the tandoor chai, they literally bake the kulhad and pour the tea in it to give it a special taste.
~Greetings from New Delhi
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@TusharSuradkar true that 2- 3 kms strech with trees is a Amazing road but at times is filled with heavy traffic.
Lucky to visit vishveswaraya museum.
You must opt Hyderabad, amazing city to live in. Just can explain in words.
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Agree about living in Hyderabad, I have been to this city occasionally since 1987 and dream to stay and work there for some time in the near future. What brings you to Bangalore @NarenChandra ?
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I am electronic engineer and there is no scope for Electronic in Hyderabad , so I had to move here for job. I am working in LNT as a automotive Engineer .
But missing Hyderabad very badly
@TusharSuradkar
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Happy Tea Day @TusharSuradkar
Without tea my day never start. Yes, I’m a teal lover.
Happy International Tea Day.
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Thank you @NareshDarji Bhai, this is a real Kulhad with the real aroma and taste 
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नमस्कार,
** @TusharSuradkar **Dada
Very nicely written, I am waiting for taste kullad chai…
Thanks for Sharing…
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Thank you @Shrut19 Hopefully we will be able to taste Kulhad chai soon after lockdown is over
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@TusharSuradkar
Thanks for this beautiful post very well said we should avoid having tea,juice plastic & styrofoam glass . Very true in my area in shopping centre tea stall is there he serves tea in glass now . Little ahead is food corner he serves is kulhad ,I didn’t knew my son had tea & snack he liked the taste so got it home told wash give in this glass tea , We used have tea in kulhad in childhood while traveling in train going to native place it’s been years didn’t had tea in kulhad.But the day my son got it I requested the owner to give 4 glass he took money gave it .Tea taste was different when we drank in that .We wash with liquid soap reuse it.
I got once gift that terracotta cup but that taste doesn’t come like kulhad .
Here we get ice cream ,phirni, faldoo in small pot .
Caption : falooda in small pot.
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Completely agree @RosyKohli terracotta cups are not kulhads.
Styrofoam cups are poisonous too and be completely avoided
Thank you for sharing your experiences and suggestions - very interesting and helpful 
