They write poems and ribald songs about this heart-shaped leaf. It is even mentioned in the Buddhist Jataka tales and, over the centuries, it has gathered its own legends as a symbol of celebration, friendship and romance. The Kamasutra mentions it as necessary to the rituals of courtship and courtesans reddened their lips by chewing a paan, a rolled betel leaf. You welcomed guests with a tray of paan, it was shared to seal alliances of business deals, and at times even used to slip poison to an enemy. it is said that only courtesans and wrestlers were allowed to chew paan in the presence of the king. The banarasi paan is an important part of the city’s culture of masti. The leaves that range from pale to dark green in colour, are halved and a lime-and-catechu paste smeared on them. Slivers of areca nuts, tobacco powder, camphor, cardamom, coconut, mint and sweeteners are added to taste. The leaf is folded and pierced with a clove. And if you are so inclined, your paan can be spiked with aphrodisiacs. intoxicants, even ground pearls and covered with gold leaf of silver foil varansi’s lanes are studded with paan shops,and connoisseurs claim they can tell the special blend of each paanwala.

Most of the shops haveai fly-spotted mirror, bright lights and shelves stacked with cigarette and beedi packets. the panwala sits with selection of betel leaves soaking in a brass pot and the ingredients in a row of shiny bowls before him. as he swiftly folds the leaves, a radio behind him will be blaring out the latest Hindi film songs. The local paan shop is a place where people gather for a chat. here you can get the hottest gossip and the latest cricket score with your favourite beeda. In Sanskrit it is called tambul and chewing betel is an ancient habit. Old medicinal treatises like the Charaka samhita list thirteen qualities of a good paan including its look, teste and fragrance. Its medicinal properities include digestive or cough-repelling powers. Usually a paan is taken after a meal but addicts chew paan all day, often adding a few grains of aromatic tobacco called zarda. At the paan wholesalers, baskets of freshly plucked leaves are auctioned early every morning. The most expensive variety is the soft Maghai, and the other valued ones are Bangla, Mitha, Kapoori, Banarasi and Mahoba. The rich have turned the making and serving of paan into an elaborate ritual. The ingredients are kept in paandaans of engraved silver, and the folded paans are offered on trays or impaled on silver chains. The areca nut is sliced fine with carved natcrackers and silver spotoons are kept nest to divans to receive the red paan juice. style and panache sem to come naturally with the banarasi.