Prayers at the temple, breakfast at this 55-year-old tea shop in Kottayam

For generations of devotees in Kumaranalloor, a visit to the Devi Temple is often followed by a plate of hot dosa at this little tea shop.

Just 150 metres from the famous Kumaranalloor Devi Temple, along the temple road in Kottayam, Devi Tea Shop has been serving tea, breakfast and snacks for more than five decades. With its firewood stove, wooden benches and old photographs on the walls, the little eatery has retained much of the character of an old Kerala tea shop.

For many devotees, a visit to the temple is followed by breakfast here. The shop opens at 5 am and stays open until 5 pm, serving breakfast and snacks through the day. There are no lunch meals, and there is no non-vegetarian food on the menu.

A firewood stove and a familiar menu
The firewood stove is at the heart of the kitchen. The old-fashioned cooking method is part of what gives the food its distinctive character.

"My father started this shop. It has been around for about 55 years now. I have been running it for 35 years," says owner Venugopal.

The breakfast menu includes dosa, idli, porotta, pappadaboli and uzhunnu vada. From noon, the focus shifts to tea and traditional snacks such as ullivada, bonda and parippuvada.

Among the most popular choices is the dosa and pappadaboli combination. A crispy pappadaboli is placed over a hot thattu dosa, topped with chutney and crushed together, bringing together the softness of the dosa, the freshness of the chutney and the spicy crunch of the fried pappadaboli.

Porotta is another favourite among regulars.
"There is a good rush in the morning. A lot of people come here for dosa, idli and porotta. People come from different places to eat here. The dosa and pappadaboli combination is a favourite, and everyone loves the porotta here," says Rathi, Venugopal's wife.

A tea shop that feels like another time
The food is only part of the attraction. Devi Tea Shop has the kind of simple interiors that have become increasingly rare. Wooden benches replace modern chairs, while old posters on the walls add to the nostalgic atmosphere.

The shop also continues to function much like a traditional neighbourhood tea shop, where locals can sit down, have a cup of tea and catch up with one another.

"Being an old shop is also one of the reasons people love coming here," Rathi says.

The steady stream of devotees, local residents and visitors keeps the shop busy, particularly in the mornings.

Located just 150 metres from Kumaranalloor Devi Temple and about 4.5 km from Kottayam town, Devi Tea Shop is an easy stop when visiting the temple or passing through the area.

Open from 5 am to 5 pm, the shop offers a taste of an older Kottayam, from its firewood-cooked breakfast to its wooden benches and familiar tea-shop snacks.

For some, the morning begins with a prayer at the temple. For others, the ritual isn't complete until there is a dosa, pappadaboli and a hot cup of tea at Devi Tea Shop.