Last Flame of Old Delhi's 'Kalai' craft

Mohammad Faizan's small shop in Matia Mahal keeps alive the generations-old, fading craft of tin-coating utensils

- IFRAH MUFTI @New Delhi

The once-familiar hiss of fire and the swirl of smoke filled the narrow lanes of Old Delhi, where kalai walas, with their bicycles laden with tools, roamed the streets. They polished brass and aluminum utensils, imbuing them with a moonlit glow. Today, the fragrance of molten tin is almost a distant memory—except in one small shop in Matia Mahal, where the scent lingers faintly, mingling with the echoes of a fading tradition.

For nearly 90 years, this humble shop has been home to the last practitioners of kalai, the ancient craft of polishing cookware with a thin layer of tin.

The shop, modestly named Haji Kalai Wale, sits in the heart of Matia Mahal, surrounded by famed eateries like Al Jawahar, Karim's, and Kallu Nihari, whose aluminum plates are polished here to restore their lost shine.

Over the years, the shop has become a staple for some of Old Delhi's most treasured culinary establishments, from the kitchens of Parliament to those of former ministers and prominent religious leaders.