Krishna Pan

Krishna Pan is a small spot at 4, Thana Road in Dum Dum. Kolkata is a city that never really sleeps, and Thana Road has its own life. We are right there in the middle of it. The shop is quite tiny, mostly just enough space for us to stand and prepare the pans. We have the betel leaves laid out on wet cloth to keep them fresh. There are jars of various sweets and spices that go inside the pan. People stop by on their way to work or after their dinner. It’s a quick stop for most. We see the police cars going toward the station and the buses moving through Dum Dum. The walls have a few old calendars hanging on them. We don't have a lot of furniture, just the wooden counter where we work. The smell of tobacco and sweet rose paste hangs in the air all day. It’s a simple business. We don't have a fancy menu or anything like that. People just tell us what they like and we make it right there in front of them. Sometimes the rain comes down so hard we can't see across the road, but we stay under the small roof and wait for it to stop. It is a noisy, busy place but we like being part of the daily routine of the people here. We’ve been folding leaves for a long time and our fingers are always stained.