Gauhar/Delhi: Many wholesale markets and markets of Delhi are quite famous across the country. At the same time, Paan Mandi of Delhi is also included in this list. This Paan Mandi is located in Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar just behind Fatehpuri Masjid. In this betel market, betel leaves come from all over the country and from here those betel leaves are supplied to Delhi and other states of the country. The shopkeepers and working people of this paan market have told that this entire market is about 150 to 200 years old.
Abdul Bari, who works in this market, is also known as Munna Paanwala in the world of paan. He told that his shop is about 85 years old and his father and grandfather also used to work as paan sellers at the same shop. He told that mostly betel leaves come here from Kerala, Karnataka, Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa. He also said that the most expensive leaf is that of sweet betel leaf which comes from Bengal and is also called green betel leaf. He also told that the most famous Banarasi betel leaf does not come from Banaras but from Orissa.
How are betel leaves identified?
Abdul told that the betel leaf whose stem is the thickest is Bangla betel, and it comes from Bengal. The betel leaf which has the shortest stem is the sweet betel leaf and this leaf also comes from Bengal. Moreover, the stem of Lanka betel leaf is thin and medium in size, and this betel leaf comes from Kerala. But the leaf with thin and small stem is the local betel leaf, and this betel leaf comes from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Regarding the most famous Banarasi betel leaf, he told that this betel leaf is yellow and green in color and has no stem, and this betel leaf comes from Orissa.
Most expensive sweet betel leaf
Abdul told that 200 sweet betel leaves cost around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000. Whereas 200 Lanka betel leaves cost between Rs 140 to Rs 150. 200 Desi betel leaves come for Rs 100, 200 Bangla betel leaves for Rs 130 to 140 and 150 Banarasi betel leaves for Rs 200. He told that sweet betel leaf is sold the least because it is very expensive.
Sale of betel leaves in these months
Maximum sale of betel leaves occurs in the months of November, December, March, April and May. Explaining the reason behind this, Abdul said that in these months the weather is quite good, neither too cold nor too hot and only then people go out of the house for a walk at night and only then more paan is consumed.
Now selling 50 baskets of betel leaves
Abdul told that ever since the government has diverted its attention from the cultivation of betel leaves. Since then, the crop of betel leaves is also being used and its consumption is also decreasing day by day. He also told that earlier 1,000 baskets of betel leaves were sold in Delhi alone and now hardly even 50 baskets of betel leaves are sold. He also said that now with great difficulty, sometimes only 100 baskets of all types of betel leaves are sold in the entire market. If you want to buy paan, you can reach here at Narain Market, Sadar Bazaar, New Delhi, Delhi, 110006.
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Tags: Local18, Paan Farming
FIRST PUBLISHED: December 19, 2023, 11:31 IST