Much Ado Over Coffee

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The book presents a multi-sited ethnography of the Indian Coffee House, renowned as possibly the world's first coffee house chain. It delves into the cultural significance of these venues as new socio-intellectual hubs for the educated middle class in cities like Allahabad, Calcutta, and Delhi. By examining informal gatherings known as adda, the study highlights how coffee houses transformed social interactions and intellectual discourse, supplanting traditional neighborhood tea shops and fostering a unique communal atmosphere.