What is the origin of the red stains in many of India's elevator shafts?

triviapaul

I have never noticed them, but presumably they are the result of Betel chewing. The Betel nut is the south asian equivalent of chewing gum. The stains are as visible and annoying as spat out gum. "Betel chewing is a part of many Asian and Pacific cultures and often takes place at ceremonies and gatherings, and preparation techniques vary from region to region. The nut is either slivered or grated, often flavoured with spices according to local tradition, and usually wrapped in a betel leaf, along with some lime (calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide) to better extract the alkaloids. Some people also chew tobacco with betel nut. After about 20 minutes of chewing, the fibrous residue which remains of the nut is spat on the street, where it remains visible due to its characteristic bright red pigment. Trails of bright red sputum lining the sidewalks are a sure indication of the popularity of betel chewing in an area." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betel_nut Jun 26 08, 8:33 AM

gentlegiant17

I have noticed them all too much ;-) It is called Paan. The wrapping is betel leaf. The filling does not have to contain betel nut, btw. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paan Jun 26 08, 8:43 AM