Pandit Pan Dukan

Pandit Pan Dukan is a small place located in Kumhar Toli, in the Kadru area of Ranchi. It is a very old part of town, and the shop has been sitting on this corner for a long time. Primarily, we are a pan shop. We prepare different kinds of pan for the people who live in the houses around here. We also keep some small items like candies, tobacco, and matches for the locals. It’s not a big store, just a little corner spot with a small roof. The neighborhood of Kumhar Toli is quite tight-knit, so we know almost everyone who passes by our shop. We don't have a big sign or anything flashy. Most people just know us as the pan shop at the corner. I usually start early in the morning, getting the fresh leaves ready and cleaning out the containers for the lime and supari. Ranchi has its own pace, and things around here move a bit slowly compared to big cities. We have some old wooden benches outside where people sometimes sit and talk about the news for a bit. It’s a very simple setup. We don't use any modern machines, just our hands to make each pan. Sometimes it gets a bit muddy during the monsoon because the road isn't paved very well, but people still come by. We don't do any fancy packaging. Everything is done the old way.