Tea stall is a small shop where tea is prepared and served to the customers daily. It is a common place in cities and towns. It is a gathering place for both the city dwellers and the villagers. Generally it is seen at the crowded place like railway station, bus stand, launch ghats and steamer ghats. A tea stall remains busy all day long. It opens early in the morning and closes at late night. Tea is served with biscuits, cakes or snacks. In a tea stall, there is one or more than one person to serve tea. A tea pot is always kept hot on the fireplace. A few chairs and tables are kept in such a stall. People sit on the chair and order tea. Cakes, biscuits and breads are hung before the stall. Before taking tea, people take bread, or cake or biscuit as they wish. They take tea and gossip with one another. Sometimes the customers discuss on the political issues and recent happenings. They argue with one another in local, national and sometimes international issues. Hence, tea stall is called the mini Sangsad. People of all walks of life gather here. In some tea stalls, the daily newspaper is kept regularly so that people can enjoy the fresh news with fresh tea. Today, tea stalls are also seen in villages. Usually a village tea stall is found in local hat or bazaar. Sometimes it is also seen on the bank of river. Such tea stalls are made of tin sheets. Benches are arranged for the customers. Village people gather here and take tea. These stalls are not as busy as city stalls. Both in cities and villages, a tea stall is a trysting place of people both haves and haves not. It plays an important role to grow intimacy among people of an area.
