The Eureka idea (remember!!) to write this issue of my blog came to me with a phone call from a relative offering to share the summers bounty of Jackfruits from their garden. This fruit which is native to the Western Ghats of Southern India is also characterized by its unusually large size. Naturally a visit to relatives in this part of India is not complete without a Jack fruit swaddled up in newspapers thrust in after us through the bus door, with instructions on its ripened condition and admonitions on how fast it should be consumed.
Jackfruits and their consumption during travel also has a hilarious story linked to it of one Okhil Chandra Sen, a Railway Passenger, who wrote a letter to Sahibganj Divisional office West Bengal in 1909 requesting to setup toilets in Indian Railways.
Indian Railways have progressed far from those days as is evident from the instructions provided in the image below (TOILET - bucket & mug is with the station master) .
The Jackfruit also has an association with Gerald Durrell the renowned British naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author, and television presenter. He wrote about it in his book "Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons" where it was described thus:
"..What was revealed, when the swaddling clothes were stripped away, was an obscene green fruit, covered with knobs and looking rather like the corpse of a Martian baby. To help with the illusion, there arose from it a thick, sweetish, very pungent smell, vaguely reminiscent of a putrefying body..." Well to everyone his own, even though Gerald Durrell was born in Jamshedpur his preferences were evidently not Indian. But here is a strange fact- the jack fruit was apparently irresistible to the bats and hence was used to trap them. That's a straight hint for the Chinese...
Talking about bats and their impact upon human kind in the year 2020, animals are now reclaiming the land which had been snatched away from them. Thusly we have had various wild animals prowling through Mangalore city, prominent among which were a couple of bisons who with the size of their horns and body frightened the citizenry. Jumping into action the local administration caught one of the bisons and also proclaimed that investigations would be made into how the bison(s) arrived in the city. Presumably by issuing summons to Yamaraja to come and answer questions about his "Vahana". Sadly enough the bison did not live through his encounter with mankind and Yamaraja indeed had to come and collect his soul.
More later...
13 comments:
Too hilarious.jachfruits given as gifts are punishable crimes������
Nice combination of jackfruit season and humour:)
Good one! Jackfruit curry happens to be a personal favourite, though Okhil Chandra Sen would find my choice rather distasteful.
Hi Umesh! Congrats on yr blogspot ! I love this one on Jackfruits for many reasons.They are a joy as the fruit,sweets and other things you can make are simply delish! The work tho in it is daunting! Besides love Gerald Durrel and his awesome books ! That pc about Okhil Sen was simply hilarious! Looking fwd to reading the rest of them! Good luck for a long innings !
Jackfruits are always welcome, whatever be the situation or location.
What was Durrell thinking? Anyone who does not love jackfruit is fit only for treasons, stratagems and spoils. He was probably channelling Jerome K Jerome’s observations on the smell of certain cheeses. Jackfruit smells and tastes divine, as people who have been deprived of this delectable fruit for decades can attest. That said, the enthusiastic consumption of jackfruit does have certain after-effects, as noted by the Bengali gentleman!
Another hilarious piece. We all need to laugh during these strange days of the Covid lockdown. It’s so reassuring to note that relatives still express their affection through gifts of home-cooked food or home-grown fruit.
You remind of a wise man who said, in life you can learn from the men who apply oil to their hand before cutting and cleaning a jackfruit so that hands don't become sticky.That's the way to do karma but stay unattached. Keep writing !
Very well written - I liked the way you went from thought to the other, how you wove them together humorously.
Hilarious, enjoyed thoroughly
An interesting and stimulating left-field piece linking Indian railways, Gerald Durrell, Shauchalay and jackfruit;)
Love the way your piece seamlessly weaves in so many disparate elements--from jackfruit to toilets to bats and more. And of course, Gerald Durrell, one of my favourite writers. Thanks for the laffs, Umesh!
Loved your sense of humour ! Hilarious
T'was all fun and games till Yamraj arrived.
The one who shot the bull better have prayed to Yamraj before taking the shot! 😂
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