Banarsi Pan Bhandar

Our shop is tucked away in Yadav Market, which is part of Laxman Vihar. We have been here for a long time now, serving pan to the local community. The shop itself is quite small, with shelves full of jars and different ingredients. Every morning we get a fresh delivery of leaves and we spend time getting them ready for the day. Most of our customers come by in the evening after they have had their dinner. It’s a nice time of day when things cool down a bit. We know a lot of the regulars by their faces and we often chat about what’s happening in the market or the weather. The area is always noisy with people shopping and vehicles passing by. We have a small wooden bench to sit on when there aren't many people around, but usually, we are on our feet. We keep things very basic here. There are no fancy signs or lights, just our name on a board. Sometimes the rain blows in during the monsoon season and we have to cover things up quickly. That is just part of being in an open market like this. We take care in how we prepare everything because that is what people expect from us. We stay open until the market starts to go quiet late at night. It is a simple life but it keeps us busy and connected to Laxman Vihar.