Writer’s take on kabir Chaiwala...

Writer’s take on kabir Chaiwala after a sudden encounter with him on the streets of Baroda

Story one:

Kabir Chai Wala

&

His New Found Love: “space charger”

Those who witnessed a free distribution of tea during an art performance in College of Art Delhi, wonders about the first public appearance of kabir chaiwala: A tea vendor & a fan of the great mystique poet of 15^th century India, Kabir Das. In this space we are shedding some light on the man behind kabir chaiwala.

“Kabir ki chai” is a performance art piece where artist Pratik Sagar performed a conceptual character; A Chai Wala (tea vendor).

This chaiwala; whose name is also ‘kabir’ says after attending “the Kabir festival” in Baroda last year for three days had tripped him. “Attending this festival I felt as if I was called to the city by Kabir himself, to meet him”, he says. He watched documentary films & attended musical evenings. Everything was dedicated to the “Kabir”.

When I asked him to tell that magical moment, when did he get enlightened and he replied “I was completely taken by surprise when I heard & saw this folk singer Prahalad Tipaniya at the live concert right after a documentary film revolving around him & his Kabir”.

Chaiwala said he could not believe what he finally saw; “Kabir” out of a sudden, came out of the screen and started singing for him. “I was really touched” he says.

Following nights what happened had changed the fate of this poor tea vendor.

“I had a dream & received a message"! next morning, I found this trolley I was told about in the dream. He then shifted his tea shop to this paddled rickshaw & hurriedly arranged rest of the stuff he was told to assemble and install, he admits.

I asked him calmly “you fake, you act, and you say you got this stuff from kabir. Fine! but where do you get the money from for serving free tea, forget the rest”.

“Oh! well that comes from wisdom” he said with a smile.

On being questioned about his real reason for coming to Baroda? He replies swiftly,

“I was stunned to know about this chaiwala who becomes slumdog millionaire as he was affluent in spoken English. An English speaking Chaiwala isn’t that amazing”his eyes were twinkling.



“Like many others I came here to become rich & famous” he continued “but I never asked them to share their bread & butter with me”. Kabir looked sad. “I find this tea-culture in Baroda very interesting” I intervened, Chai ki laari (tea shop) is great place to simply hang around sipping “friendly on pocket”chai and getting social, a nice place to look from at “the public” being one amongst them & let them find us in them!” Be it anywhere else, he interrupted, “It is this social construct of gathering, only, which had helped me in conceiving & nurturing those influences to its present form. Tea shops are always excellent sites for sharing ideas & exchanging thoughts even better when you don’t have to pay for it, isn’t it so. “Mine is the best place to design & discuss revolutions”he argues “and to write poems about it, dream it, make up stories to turn them into realities” he ended up holding me up a cup of special chai, “Kabir ki chai”.

The trolley he had received; “Kabir tea trolley” is set on a paddled rickshaw& hence can be taken to places he says, proudly! “It is because of this, plus its ability to inspire its immediate surrounding that it has been honoured by the title of “space charger”.


“So how does it work, your space charger”? I asked.

This‘work’ essentially generates performers transforming the space to a creative zone where words of saint-poet kabir are spread in the air. Participants are attracted to this installation through a free cup of tea. Sugarless-tea served on the other hand ensures interaction with the work by picking up a cube or more of sugar from the installation. So as one decides to take a tea-break, then it becomes obligatory for him to actively participate & become performer himself.

This is kept as policy for attracting & inviting maximum possible participation& then converting them into hypnotised victimised performers.

The sugar cubes are placed in a pattern that it becomes a sentence; a part from one of Kabir’s Doha:

ऐसी वाणी बोलिए, मन का आपा खोये Speak such words, sans ego's ploy

अपना तन शीतल करे, औरन को सुख होए body remains composed, giving the listener joy

Kabir, in this Doha (couplet) crystallizes the power of the spoken word. He teaches us to speak in such a manner that keeps us harmonious and composed thereby making the listener feel a sense of joy in the communication.

Later, I received a note from him:

This work functions on various levels.

*One is obviously to promote Kabir’s ideology; linking him with popular; fashionable & taking him to consumer.

*Second is to check that these ‘words’should not be just heard, said & forgotten but gets absorbed in its full sense & done (by placing a live monitor).

*Another is by demonstrating that how does taking these Doha’s in part (words written with sugar) can be politicised for once own selfish greed’s & deeds & that becomes it critique & risk, which is true to knowledge as such.

*Background music that is Kabir song in the folk style of singing of Sh. Prahalad Tipanaya ensures that we do not lose the rhythm of right thought & find harmony from the chaos of rising questions. Everything has been served here on this “space charger” & it is the individual who judges it, I have tried to not force any conclusions to the work & hence, this live art piece may conclude itself. Experiment yourself and rediscover the power of the spoken word.

Regards,

Kabir Chaiwala

(कबीर चाय वाला)

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