Betel nuts (Areca catechu) and leaves (Piper betle), are for many, a part of daily life in Southern India. Come explore the world of vethela paaku (the preparation of betel leaves and nuts) through a visual journey through Southern India.
Deepa Natarajan is the Program Coordinator at the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley, where she has transformed her love of plants into a year-round series of events highlighting plants and people. She holds a masters degree in ethnobotany and her research includes ritual plant use in the Indian diaspora.
