Paan and Banaras:Inseparable

I have never been an advocate of chewing tobacco, and hate that most corners, toilets and staircases of buildings in Banaras are painted red with paan spits. But as we ate paan and pondered, paan forms the very essence of the city. If we imagine a typical Banarasi, he would be chewing paan, draped in a gamchha and ending sentences with "baa". The naturally red lips and broad lower jaws of Banarasis seem to be a natural evolution.You must have a broad lower jaw if you wish to speak with paan(s) stuffed in your mouth, after all.
I like(can tolerate, rather) the meetha paan – the sweet paan, with its combination of bitter leaf, sweet, sticky gulkhand and assorted spice, saffron, areca nut.Since ages,bards have written poems and bawdy songs about this heart-shaped leaf, and still continue to do so.The humble paan is an integral part of the city's culture of masti.
O khaaike paan banaaras wala
Khul jaaye band akal kaa taala