The story behind our branding

On our chai packs and elsewhere, the triangle of dots is known as a Trajjva symbol, which comes from my grandmother. This is a traditional tattoo you will find on mostly elderly women in parts of rural Gujarat — a simple geometric mark placed on the skin at a young age, although I have seen more elaborate and intricate designs. These tattoos weren’t decorative trends; they were cultural identifiers, often signifying community, protection and belonging. The motif is minimal — six dots forming a triangle — but it carries generations and stories. It brings memories of the small village my grandmother grew up in, which I’ve visited, with her own grandmother (read the story here - an excerpt from The Book of Chai).

Traditionally, the ink was made from natural substances. In many villages, tattooists used plant-based materials such as neem, tulsi, lamp soot (kajal), turmeric, and sometimes indigo or other local herbs mixed with oils. There was also an Ayurvedic understanding behind it — certain plants like neem and tulsi are known for their antiseptic and purifying qualities, so placing them into the skin was believed not only to mark identity but also to offer protection. Whether symbolic, medicinal or both, the ingredients were simple and close to the land.

I decided to get the same tattoo some eighty years after she did, on whim while I was in New York, because it reminded me — and will always remind me — of her, of our roots and of her timeless precious stories. The ink we use now isn’t quite the same and doesn’t contain those pure Ayurvedic ingredients, which is one of the reasons I’ve since stopped getting tattoos. But I’ll live with the ones I have — especially this one — because it connects me to where I come from.