A taste of pedigree

The chewing of paan, or betel leaf, is intricately linked to culture and tradition in India

Salma Hussain Delhi

Some time ago, a Delhi newspaper ran a feature on women running paan shops in the city. Clearly, life has come full circle, as in the good old days, paan was made and served only by the lady of the house. Even in bazaars, it was women who sold paan, not men. These women were called tambolans (tambol is the Sanskrit word for betel leaf). The term betel comes via Portuguese from the Malayalam and Tamil vetthile meaning leaf.

The betel leaf plant, which originated in Malaysia and soon spread throughout Asia's tropical regions. Betel has been part of Indian culture from time immemorial. Offering a betel leaf is regarded as auspicious. It was consumed as a moral and legal commitment while drawing up an agreement. As a modest way of expressing love, it was offered by women to their lovers, dramatically from behind the screen.

In the temple of King Rama at Orchha, paan is served to devotees as prasad. In the temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati, the butter from the forehead of Lord Venkateswara is wrapped inside a paan leaf and given to devotees. In South India, the betel leaf and nut, along with turmeric and kumkum, are offered to married women on auspicious occassions.

Paan also has medicinal values. It is used in traditional medicine for the treatment of stomach ailment and infection. It is also considered a mouth freshener, carminative, anti- flatulent and pain reliever.

The earliest reference to chewing the paan in India is found in the Buddhist-Jain canonical literature and in the Apasthamba Dharma Sutra, both dated from around 400 BC.

Foreign travelers to India noted that chewing the betel leaf makes the mouth fragrant and also helps in digesting of food. Al-berouni, the famous Arab traveler who visited India between 1017 and 1030 refers to the habit in his book Kitab-ul-Hind:

"They (Indians) have red teeth on account of chewing areca nut with betel-leaf and lime. In royal dinners of northern India betel leaves and nuts are served at the end of the dinner." There is also reference to betel leaf in the writings of Ibn-Battuta, who was in India from 1325 to 1354.

Amir Khusrau, the great Sufi poet of Indian courts (1253-1325) has also mentioned the use of chewing betel leaf after meals in royal dinners. "After the meals they take tambul for refreshing the palate," he wrote.

I Ching, who visited India in 671 to 695, states that betel leaves carrying fragrant spices were served at the end of the meal to help digestion and remove phlegm, and make the mouth fragrant.

Abdur Razzaq of Heart, an ambassador from Samarqand at the court of the Zamorin of Calicut states that "The virility of the king is attributed to his habit of chewing the betel leaf, as it lightens up the countenance and excites an intoxication like that caused by wine. It relieves hunger, stimulates the organs of digestion, disinfect the breath and strengthen the teeth. It is impossible to describe and delicacy forbids me to expatiate on its invigorating and aphrodisiac qualities."

 A whole universe of craft objects has developed around the practice. Brass, copper and silver containers called paandan form an important part of the dowry among Muslims of Mumbai, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Bengal and Bangalore. Amongst the elite, a maid was hired to carry the paandan for the Begam. These containers are artistically perforated for circulation of air and were made into different shapes and sizes.

Preparing the paan is an art in itself. The maker has to be clever enough in the use of Chuna (lime) and kattha (catechu), excess of lime can give blisters in the mouth and excess of catechu makes the mouth bitter. Often while arranging a match, the girl is asked to make paan, upon which depends her selection as a bride. The folding of betel leafs is also an art.

Betel leaves are grown almost all over India, but it is said that the best are grown in Benares and Kolkata. Different varieties of betel leaves are grown in the country, such as, Bangla, Desi, Kapoori, Ambari, Maggai, Mita, Desavari and Banarsi.