57-year-old Mustafa is one of around 100 farmers who cultivate betel solely for the Pakistani market. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
Workers plucking betel leaves at a farm in Tirur in Malappuram district, Kerala . A worker earns Rs.7.50 per 100 leaves he plucks. Usually, a worker can earn around Rs. 800 a day.
Workers plucking betel leaves at a farm in Tirur in Malappuram district, Kerala. The wage is Rs.7.50 per 100 leaves plucked. Usually, a worker can earn around Rs. 800 a day. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
Arranging plucked betel leaves at a farm in Chembra near Tirur in Malappuram district, Kerala. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
A worker arranging plucked betel leaves at a farm in Chembra near Tirur in Malappuram district, Kerala. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
Packing the betel leaves into cane baskets. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
Packing the betel leaves into cane baskets for the Pakistani markets. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
Getting ready for the long flight to Pakistan. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
Packaged Tirur Lanka Pan marked with the code names of Pakistani traders at an exporters' godown at Pan Bazar in Tirur. Since there are no direct flights to Pakistan from the nearest airport at Karippur in Kozhikode, traders have to send the pan via Doha in Qatar. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
Packaged Tirur Lanka Pan at an exporters' godown. Since there are no direct flights to Pakistan from the nearest airport at Karippur in Kozhikode, traders have to send the pan via Doha in Qatar. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
76 -year-old Shankunnikutty Menon, a veteran betel trader, at his shop in Pan Bazar in Tirur. The memories of a sleepless pan bazar full of traders, farmers and tea shops are still fresh in his mind. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
Bappu, one of the few remaining Urdu speaking Tamil at the century-old betel trader V.P.Kuthbuddin & Co. V.P Kuthbuddin & Co is one ofthe last three betel traders controlled by the Urdu-speaking Tamil Muslims. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
Once a bustling market; now deserted: The Paan Bazaar of Tirur. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat
Lush and green: A betel farm in Chembra, near Tirur in Malappuram district of Kerala. Photo: Thulasi Kakkat