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MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS
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PAN BIDI SHOPS
As we go to the extreme south and north-east of the State of Maharashtra, we find a distinct liking among the people for chewing pans. This explains the multiplicity of pan-bidi shops in the Vidarbha region in general and the district of Buldhana in particular. Most of the people are habituated to chewing pan with tobacco or otherwise. Similarly, offering pan or panpatti to the guests is also considered as a way of showing ones hospitality. It is no wonder therefore that pan-bidi shops have become a common sight even in distant parts of the district.
In rural areas, the farmers carry with them a small cotton bag or a chanchi to keep all the ingredients necessary for a panpatti, such as betel-leaves, catechu, betel-nut etc. Pan-bidi shops in villages and towns are usually situated in busy centres such as motor stand, bazar place, railway station etc., and are locally known as panachi gadi or pan pattiche dukan. These shops today cater to the ever increasing class of customers with whom chewing pan and smoking bidi or cigarette has become a part of their routine life. A pan-bidi shop is generally established on a raised wooden platform, which has an appearance of a small cabin.
Usually people chew pan after taking heavy meals or even after taking a cup of tea. In addition, the betel-leaves and areca-nuts are offered at the time of marriage ceremony or any other religious ceremony as they are regarded as possessing auspicious value.
The ingredients of a panpatti or vida are betel-leaves, lime, pieces of areca-nut, catechu or kath, tobacco leaf or tobacco pow-der, cardamom, and a clove to compact the vida. Various types of panpattis are prepared and they are known as Poona Masala, Banarasi, Mittha, etc., interpreting the tastes of people staying in different parts of the country.
A sample survey of a few pan-bidi shops was conducted at a few places in the district. Following are some of the observations resulting from the survey. The accessories kept in a pan-bidi shop consist of tobacco, betel-nuts, areca-nuts, lime, catechu, cloves, cardamom, other items of spices, and bidis and cigarettes of various types. In addition to the above noted items, some shops keep for sale a few patent medicines, postal cards, envelopes, inlands, soaps, and similar other articles of daily consumption having little money value and greater utility.
The expenditure of a pan-bidi shop on the accessories depended upon the size of the establishment. In the case of a medium sized shop, it was Rs. 42 per day, while in the case of a small shop, it was Rs. 15 per day.
The tools required by a pan-bidi shop included nut-cracker, balances for weighing the light articles such as betel-nut, snuff etc., a chunam pot with a rod etc.
The equipment of a medium unit consisted of mirrors, furniture etc., costing about Rs. 1,000 and that of a small unit consisted of pots, boxes etc., worth about Rs. 50.
The pan-bidi shops require capital for the purchase of a few tools and equipment and some items of furniture. A medium unit invested about Rs. 1,000, whereas in a small size shop the investment varied from Rs. 100 to Rs. 500.
Generally all the pan-bidi shops were one man establishments. The average gross income of a medium shop was placed at Rs. 1,200 per month and that of a small sized pan-bidi shop at Rs. 400 per month. All the shops were mostly located in rented premises, the rent depending upon the locality of the shop and varying between Rs. 16 and Rs. 65 per month.
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