How an Indian tea seller became a celebrated author

Laxman Rao continues to sit on a Delhi street to sell chai and his 25 books

20240119 tea seller main

Laxman Rao at his tea stall, where he also sells his books, on a sidewalk in New Delhi. People stop by to read his stories. (All photos by Haziq Qadri)

HAZIQ QADRI, Contributing writer

NEW DELHI -- On a scorching Saturday afternoon, tea seller Laxman Rao sits on the sidewalk of a busy road in New Delhi with two pots of chai boiling on a stove in front of him. But what catches the eyes of people walking by is the stack of books beside him.

As a few stopped by and picked up the books, Rao, 71, proudly introduced himself as the author.

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