Manohar Pan Dukan

If you are walking around the Pani Tanki area in Dhanbad, near Tetultalla, you will see Manohar Pan Dukan. It is a small place, even for a shop in Purana Bazar. We mostly focus on pan, but we keep a few other things like matches and maybe some small snacks. The shop is tucked away, and it’s been there for years. My hands are usually busy folding leaves and putting the right amount of lime and betel nut inside. It’s a craft you learn over a long time. Regulars come by after their meals to get their favorite mix. We don't have much space, so there isn't really a place to sit down. People just stand around for a bit, talk about the weather or the local news, and then move on. The street noise is constant, but you get used to it. The jars on the shelf are old and the labels have faded a bit. Sometimes I run out of a specific ingredient and have to tell people to wait until tomorrow. It’s just a simple stall really. We don’t have a website or anything like that. People just know the spot near the water tank. It’s a small life, but we see a lot of people every single day and that keeps things interesting enough for us. We just try to make the best pan for whoever stops by our little corner near Tetultalla.