Botham Pan Bhandar

Morar is a place with a lot of history and our little shop, Botham Pan Bhandar, is right in the middle of Khula Santar. In Gwalior, the summers get really hot, so people like to stop by for something refreshing. I spend a lot of time preparing the leaves and making sure the ingredients are fresh. It is a small space, mostly just enough for me to stand and a few jars on the ledge. Gwalior folks know their pan, so I have to be careful with how I put things together. The street outside is always dusty and there is a lot of movement from the local market nearby. I see people from all walks of life stopping their bikes for a quick minute. Some are in a hurry and others want to talk about the cricket match or the local politics. I do not have any big signs or bright lights. Most people just know where we are because we have been here in Morar for such a long time. My hands are usually busy from morning until night. It is a steady kind of work that does not leave much time for sitting around. Sometimes my brother helps out when it gets really crowded in the evenings. We just keep things moving and try to make sure no one is waiting too long out in the sun.