Panwaaris / by Aman Sridhar

The Panwaari project is one I've been doing over the past few weeks. 

The concept is really simple - I get pictures of the panwaaris I frequent the most. 

There's no real story to each picture, however, the idea came to me a while back when I was thinking about business, and what it takes to achieve relative success in a chosen field. 

It got me thinking about India and the local community around me - how there are literally thousands of small businesses that run everyday of the week. These workshops, chai stalls, panwaaris and auto drivers all go unnoticed because it's such a vibrant part of our culture that we just take them for granted. 

The Panwaari project is the first of many that will serve to document culture that we seem to take lightly. In many ways, panwaaris are what make us who we are. 

My motivation, as always, is just to document. I'm not going to take this in any political direction. I am just the medium that shares. 

 

For non-hindi speakers, "Panwaaris" are the colloquial reference for cigarette stalls. The name comes from the snack paan, which is a huge part of our culture, but panwaaris today are department stores on wheels. More often than not any stall you see on the side of the road will get you anything from sodas to cigarettes to lighters to snacks. 

Panwaaris in many ways are the spine to our local economy, and thus need to be documented. 

 

Check out the project here - https://www.amansridhar.com/panwaari/