Surya Pan Centre

We are located on Avenue Road at Kothi 123. If you know this area, you know how crowded and loud it can get with all the shops and the people walking by. Our space is very small, just a counter and some shelves really. We spend our time preparing the betel leaves and keeping the different jars of spices and sweets filled up. We have all the little containers of lime paste and catechu lined up so we can reach them quickly. It’s a bit of a craft, folding the leaves just right so nothing spills out. We see all kinds of people, from businessmen in a hurry to laborers taking a break from carrying loads. We’ve been at this same spot for quite a while, and the neighborhood hasn't changed much, just more traffic. We keep a small radio on the shelf for some background noise, though usually the street noise is louder. The counter is made of wood and it’s worn down in the spots where people lean. We don't have any chairs, it’s strictly a walk-up kind of place. We start setting things up in the morning and stay until the market starts to quiet down at night. It’s a simple way to make a living and we know our regulars by their orders. We keep the floor behind the counter tidy because there isn't much room to move around otherwise.