PAAN LEAVES AND KASHMIR

                                                                                       


PAAN LEAVES AND KASHMIR

Chewing PAAN is not new to Kashmir. Kashmiris used Tambuli leaves and Nagarakhanda leaves  as a luxury  for chewing  . Tambuli leaves were kept in a Gold box in the custody of an officer in the court of kashmirian kings . This official prepared the leaf with lime , catechu nuts and other ingredients and offered the same in royal Darbars .More Cantos in Rajtangini make mention of these leaves being available in Kashmir.I quote 

“ By that vendor of Nagarakhanda and other leaves , the king was induced to part with almost the entire revenue of the country at this time ”
(Canto 194 Taranga VII Kalhana’s Rajtarangini Translated by R S Pandit )

“ So that she might maintain herself on the rent paid by the gardeners who in summer , keep flowers , Tambuli leaves and the like in that cool place ”
( Canto 19 Taranga VI Kalhana’s Rajtarangini Translated by R S Pandit . )

Footnotes by R S Pandit
Tambuli leaves are nothing but  the piper betel or what we call presently as PAAN. Nagarkhanda is a variety of the Piper  betel presently  known as PAAN .






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