A Paean to the Paan - Open The Magazine

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And left me a lifelong lover and connoisseur, unmindful of mild stains on my reputation" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://openthemagazine.com/essays/arts-letters/a-paean-to-the-paan/" /> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_US" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:title" content="A Paean to the Paan - Open The Magazine" /> <meta property="og:description" content="My father’s affair with paan introduced me early to its delicate temptations. And left me a lifelong lover, unmindful of mild stains on my reputation Father loved his paan so much that at times Mother teased him that he loved the leaf more than he loved her. He would just smile and wink at us … Continue reading "A Paean to the Paan"" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://openthemagazine.com/essays/arts-letters/a-paean-to-the-paan/" /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="Open The Magazine" /> <meta property="article:publisher" content="https://www.facebook.com/openthemagazine/" /> <meta property="article:published_time" content="2011-07-14T06:53:35+00:00" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://openthemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ll-paan.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image:width" content="435" /> <meta property="og:image:height" content="290" /> <meta property="og:image:type" content="image/jpeg" /> <meta name="author" content="Pushpesh Pant" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@Openthemag" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@Openthemag" /> <meta name="twitter:label1" content="Written by" /> <meta name="twitter:data1" content="Pushpesh Pant" /> <meta name="twitter:label2" content="Estimated reading time" /> <meta name="twitter:data2" content="7 minutes" />  <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//openthemagazine.com' /> <script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/72x72\/","ext":".png","svgUrl":"https:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/15.0.3\/svg\/","svgExt":".svg","source":{"concatemoji":"https:\/\/openthemagazine.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=6.6.2"}}; /*! 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And left me a lifelong lover and connoisseur, unmindful of mild stains on my reputation</p> <p class="post-author google-anno-skip"> <span style="display:none;"> <a href='https://openthemagazine.com/author/pushpesh-pant/'><img class="aut-img1" src="https://openthemagazine.com/wp-content/themes/open/images/default-author.png" alt=""></a> <a href="https://openthemagazine.com/author/pushpesh-pant/" > Pushpesh Pant</a> </span> <span> <span class='prpbreackline'></span><a href='https://openthemagazine.com/author/pushpesh-pant/'><img class="aut-img1" src="https://openthemagazine.com/wp-content/themes/open/images/default-author.png" alt=""></a> <a href="https://openthemagazine.com/author/pushpesh-pant/" >Pushpesh Pant</a> </span> <span class="twitter"> | </span> <span style="display:none;"> </span> <span class='prpbreackline'></span> <span class="name-t">14 Jul, 2011</span> </p> <ul class="top-social"> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://openthemagazine.com/essays/arts-letters/a-paean-to-the-paan/&t=A Paean to the Paan" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=300,width=600'); return false;" target="_blank"><img src="https://openthemagazine.com/wp-content/themes/open/images/fb.jpg" alt=""></a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/share?url=https://openthemagazine.com/essays/arts-letters/a-paean-to-the-paan/&via=Openthemag&text=A Paean to the Paan" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href, '', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=300,width=600'); return false;" target="_blank"><img src="https://openthemagazine.com/wp-content/themes/open/images/twitter_new.png" alt=""></a></li> <li><a href="mailto:?subject=A Paean to the Paan&body=Check out this link https://openthemagazine.com/essays/arts-letters/a-paean-to-the-paan/." target="_blank"><img src="https://openthemagazine.com/wp-content/themes/open/images/mail.jpg" alt=""></a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="post-thumb google-anno-skip"> <div class="postFit_image">   <picture> <source srcset="https://static.openthemagazine.com/fit-in/713x475/filters:quality(80)/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ll-paan.jpg" media="(min-width: 1024px)"> <source srcset="https://static.openthemagazine.com/fit-in/450x300/filters:quality(80)/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ll-paan.jpg" media="(min-width: 768px)"> <source srcset="https://static.openthemagazine.com/fit-in/713x475/filters:quality(80)/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ll-paan.jpg"> <img width="450" height="300" srcset="https://static.openthemagazine.com/fit-in/450x300/filters:quality(80)/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ll-paan.jpg 600w, https://static.openthemagazine.com/fit-in/713x475/filters:quality(80)/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ll-paan.jpg 1200w, https://static.openthemagazine.com/fit-in/713x475/filters:quality(80)/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ll-paan.jpg 1800w" sizes="50vw" alt="l&l-paan" class="img-responsive lazy-load" decoding="async" /> </picture> <p class="one-line-d2"></p> </div>  <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "ImageObject", "author": "Pushpesh Pant", "contentLocation": "India", "contentUrl": "https://static.openthemagazine.com/fit-in/713x475/filters:quality(80)/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ll-paan.jpg", "datePublished": "14 Jul, 2011", "description": "", "name": "l&l-paan" } </script>  <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://openthemagazine.com/essays/arts-letters/a-paean-to-the-paan/" }, "isPartOf": { "@type": "CreativeWork", "name": "Open The Magazine", "url": "https://openthemagazine.com" }, "inLanguage": "en", "headline": "A Paean to the Paan", "description": "My father鈥檚 affair with paan introduced me early to the delicate temptations of the green leaf. 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And left me a lifelong lover, unmindful of mild stains on my reputation</p>    <br/> <p>Father loved his <em>paan</em> so much that at times Mother teased him that he loved the leaf more than he loved her. He would just smile and wink at us children and put another <em>gilori</em> (triangle of prepared <em>paan</em>) of his beloved <em>magahi</em>, plucked out of a silver <em>pandibiya</em> (<em>paan</em> box) in his mouth. He would never let any other variety ruin his delicate palate. Mother was not the only one who thought he carried this fuss too far. Didn’t other <em>paan</em> leaves have seductions of their own—the <em>meetha patta, saunfia, kalkatia, kapoori, saanchi, jagannathi</em> and <em>mahoba</em>?</p> <p>Nothing could persuade Father to change his ways. He made do with <em>magahi </em>(a betel leaf from Magadh, Bihar) that he received via VPP in that pre-courier era from his trusted supplier, Chaurasiaji in Banaras. The <em>kattha</em> (brown paste applied to the leaf) he used was just the cream at the top, and he slaked <em>chuna</em> not in water, but in milk. The <em>supari </em>(betel nut) had to be <em>dakhani</em>—cooked in <em>kattha</em> and bone-hard. Not addicted to tobacco, he relished a few grains of<em> muski daana</em> produced by M/S Ittada Khan, Muttada Khan—perfumers from Kannoj. These were seeds of green cardamom dipped in tobacco water, then draped in <em>chandi ka varq </em>(silver foil) and then aromatised with a few strands of saffron. The name suggests the presence of a trace of aphrodisiac musk as well. The miniature bottles the stuff came in even looked like <em>ittar</em> (perfume) containers.</p> <p>All this knowledge came much later. What mattered in the years before one’s loss of innocence was to ensure that one was rewarded with a grain of the forbidden delight after a long spell of tedious good conduct. Mother, of course, didn’t approve.</p> <p>This was the beginning of my unending affair with this leaf of myriad delights; little did one know that <em>paan</em> is not native to this land and was imported from south-east Asia and called <em>naag vallari</em>, literally the ‘snake vine’. The name is an apt one, as the creeper does resemble the hood of a cobra.</p> <p>As one grew up, what shocked was the discovery that not everyone was as fastidious when it came to chewing <em>paan</em>. Most people were content to be given a choice of <em>tambaku wala </em>(with tobacco), <em>meetha</em> (sweet) or <em>saada</em> (plain). Not many specified a leaf, and only a few bothered about the state of the <em>supari.</em></p> <p>Ironically, the contemporary <em>supari</em> has a very different connotation. It is given to a contract killer to seal a deal. Its origin can be traced back to the age of chivalry in medieval India when the sovereign dared the bravest of the brave to volunteer to undertake  a suicide mission. A platter full of <em>paan ki gilori,</em> also known as <em>beerha</em>, was passed around, and whoever picked one up first was assigned the self-sacrificial   task. How the mighty have fallen!</p> <p>There are many other phrases in Hindi that are vitalised by terminology of <em>paan</em> culture. <em>Chuna lagana </em>means taking somebody for a ride. In government offices, bribe seekers often use the euphemistic “<em>Kuchh paan supari ya chai-paani ka bandobast toh kardijiye</em>.” (Won’t you arrange for some paan or tea and the like?).</p> <p>No one remembers today that the <em>paan</em> is not a son of the soil of India. It has become such an indispensable part of our lives. It cuts across caste and creed, and tries bravely to bridge the class divide. At the <em>panwari’</em>s (<em>paan</em> seller) shop, all are treated alike—prince or pauper. You have to stand in queue for your daily fix.</p> <p>Come to think of it, access to the <em>panwari</em>’s shop itself used to be an important rite of passage in small towns. The young adult announced his maturity as much with the sprouting moustache and downy beard as with the buying of <em>paan</em>. Entry to this club was strictly for males. The <em>paan</em> shop provided a unique public space: here, one could exchange gossip, make new friends or meet old ones.</p> <p>The <em>paan</em> came in handy to mask the smell of alcohol or cigarettes on your breath; both were considered more sinful vices. Nevertheless, there were elders who did not approve of <em>paan</em>. They nodded their heads and muttered, “What begins with <em>paan</em> will surely end with a <em>mujra</em> (performance) at a <em>kotha</em> (brothel). And how will the money come to indulge in such expensive pursuits? The youngster will have to take to theft.”</p> <p>There were folk songs loaded with double entendres that regaled family and friends on festive occasions like marriages and Holi—<em>Sarota kahan bhool aai paaye nandoia</em>. The <em>sarota</em> is a nut cracker kind of device to split <em>supari</em>. There was also the legendary <em>palang todh</em> <em>paan</em> (literally, the bed-breaking kind). Much before Viagra had appeared on the scene, this heady admixture loaded with sundry ingredients came with the guarantee of enhanced performance in the bedroom. Prepared on special order, it was sold strictly to adults at a premium. Alas, before one could try and test it, the species had gone extinct.</p> <p><em>Paan</em> has long been considered a perfect medium for the delivery of tonics, medicinal or poisonous. A <em>paan</em> with <em>mulaithi</em> (the stem of a tree with medicinal properties) serves as a prescription for a sore throat. Some bitter medicines also use the <em>paan</em> route. Legend has it that the teenage singing wonderkind Master Madan was slow poisoned  by mercury packed in a <em>paan ki gilori</em>. Tales abound about poor promising fellows who lost their mental balance after imbibing <em>dhatura</em> (an intoxicant) in <em>paan</em>.</p> <p>In the Northeast, <em>supari </em>is called <em>tambol</em> and eaten wrapped in a plain <em>paan</em> leaf, leading to mild intoxication. Deep down south, the <em>veeda</em> is a no-frills offering that has rose-tinted and rose-flavoured <em>chunam</em> (lime), and grated <em>nariyal</em> (coconut), with a clove sealing the small packet. </p> <p>On the big screen, Amitabh Bachchan has single-handedly tried to entice India’s film-going youth to the enchantment of <em>paan</em>. When he sings, <em>Khaike paan Banaras wala/khul jaye band akal ka taala</em>, one is almost convinced of <em>paan</em> as an idela brain tonic. One wishes that he had not broken into song-and-dance, though, scarring us with innuendos of cuckoldry—<em>longa ilayachi ka beera banaya khai gori ka yaar balam tarse</em>! Amitabh could get away with spitting out the residue with a loud phicch; lesser mortals have to be much more careful with the divine cud in their mouth.</p> <p>More than four decades have passed since Waheeda Rehman danced that wonderful number in the film <em>Teesri Kasam: Paan khai saiyyan hamaro/Saavli suratiye hoth lal lal. </em>One of the hazards of chewing <em>paan</em> is the <em>peik</em> (red juice) that seems to take on a life of its own, eager to spout like a fountain to stain anything in sight and range. Father’s friend Leeladhar Babu had appropriated mastery in this vulgar pastime. He loved <em>paan</em>, but could never control his <em>peik</em> expulsion—it drooled all over his clothes, always missed the spittoon, and struck terror in our hearts. But we digress.</p> <p>My obsession with <em>paan</em> has raged unabated for over half a century, and after all this manic research, I feel only the surface has been scratched. The <em>paan</em> motif in textiles and jewellery takes us to a different universe altogether. What is called the ‘suite of hearts’ in the realm of playing cards is ‘<em>paan</em>’ in Hindi. Nor should we ever forget the accessories that were an inseparable part of the <em>paan</em> lover’s baggage, such as the exquisitely-decorated <em>paandaan</em> (a box full of ingredients that go into <em>paan</em>) and the <em>batuwa</em> (a dainty little purse made of silk or velvet with tiny drawstrings adorned with colourful bon-bons). Bhopal was once famous for these. Bidar, near Hyderabad, was equally renowned for ornate <em>peikdaans</em> in Bidriware. There is no dearth of living legends in our musical pantheon who have recounted the early days of their apprenticeship with their masters spent cleaning the <em>ustad</em> or <em>guru’s peekdaan</em>. The mentor usually used this test not to humiliate a promising student, but to test endurance and seriousness of purpose.</p> <p>What calls for lament is the untimely demise of the noble leaf caused by the proliferation of <em>paan</em> masalas under various brands. What remains are fragile memories of the leaf of myriad delights.</p> <p><em>Pushpesh Pant is a professor of diplomatic studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. 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