PAAN LEAVES AND KASHMIR

                                                                                       

PAAN LEAVES AND KASHMIR

                                           

 ( A Kashmiri Pandit Paan shop in Habba Kadal ,Srinagar...Photo courtesy . Satish Ganju)

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 . Verses  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 ”

(Verse 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 ”

( Verse  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 .

( Avtar Mota )

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