Jagdesh Paan Bhandar

Jagdesh Paan Bhandar is located right at the Somnath Temple. It is a very small shop, more like a little stall really, but we have been here for a long time. People come to the temple for prayers and then they usually stop by our place on their way out. We spend our day sitting behind the counter, folding betel leaves and mixing the different ingredients. It is a quiet kind of work, but your hands stay busy all the time. The counter is covered with small jars of lime, catechu, and all the different spices we use. It gets very crowded on festival days and during the evening aarti when everyone is out in the streets. You can hear the temple bells from where we sit. We do not have any fancy signs or lights. Most people just know us by name. The stone floor around the shop is old and worn down from all the feet passing by. Sometimes we run out of fresh leaves if the delivery is late, but usually, we have everything ready for the regulars. It is not a place where you sit down and stay; it is just a quick stop in the middle of a busy day. We like being near the temple because there is always something happening and we get to see so many different faces every single day. The sun sets behind the temple towers and we start packing up.