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2023 - The Year That Was

Places impact you for a variety of reasons. And the same place impacts different people in different ways. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual experiences, where every single person’s experience is unique. And personally, every spiritual experience is unique, the same person can have different deeply spiritual experiences at different places, at different times. This thought has emerged because of my own experiences over the years, but especially so this year, with different and unique experiences at various places I have visited recently. I began this year with a visit to Baroda (Vadodara) with friends. It was meant to be a relaxed trip, a touristy trip, with our sons. We enjoyed ourselves to the hilt, but the highlight of that trip was a visit to the Lakulisha temple at Pavagadh. It was the iconography of the temple that I connected with, and I spent a few hours simply lost in the details of the figures carved around the temple. There was an indefinable connect with

Do you know the name of this fruit?

My father-in-law is building a bridge over a river near a small village in Karjat (near Mumbai). This place is fairly remote, which is why they didn't have a bridge in the first place.... you can guess how remote when I tell you that they still don't have electricity!!! 

Well, anyway, he came back home last night with a fruit the villagers had given him. he thought we would know the name, so he didn't bother to ask them. As it happens, we have no clue! Can any of you help us identify it? 



It looked ripe, so we cut it, but it turns out it wasn't quite ready to be eaten. It still tastes Ok, though!!!



Update: It is a Ram Phal, a variety related to the Sita Phal or custard apple. Thanks a lot, Chitra and Bhavesh for the info... Thanks to you both, I can now teach Samhith about another fruit!!


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Comments

  1. Looks exotic but then I also do not know the name.

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  2. Anu
    It is from the family of Seeta phal and this is called Ram phal. we do have a tree of this, in my uncle's house. This is a very common fruit available in Kodaikanal and would weigh around 750 gms. to a kilo and skin is green . But I prefer this pink variety , which is more tasty. Seeta phal has more seeds and this has more flesh and less seeds too. My favourite.

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  3. @Tarun: it actually did look like that :)

    @Mridula: exotic or not, it grows in one of the most sparsely inhabited places next to this crowded city!!!!

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  4. If I'm not wrong, it's Ramphal. It's like Sitaphal [Custard Apple].

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  5. @Chitra : thanks so much for the identification. I had heard of Ram phal, but had no idea what it looked like.... the taste reminded us of the sitaphal, but we did not realise it was a similar one... i have updated the blog with the detail...

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  6. Oh! I see Chitra has already answered you correct :)

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  7. on seeing the cut fruit, it gave an impression of sita phal. But then never knew there is one called ram phal. Thanks Anu for posting it.

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  8. I see am a bit late here, but I am aware it is Ram Phal. Sita Phal and Ram Phal are some of my favourite fruits.

    I kept eating some tasty Ram Phal fruits in Ooty last month and they were so rich and heavy that I finally skipped dinner that evening.

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  9. Just visited to tell you, an award is awaiting for you. Visit my blog:) all the best.

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  10. I like the taste of Sita phal more. :)

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  11. I was happy to see a Ram Phal I want some information is it the same or related to the fruit graviola.please need this information.Thank you

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  12. I like to look at sita fal

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  13. And this is also have ability to cure cancer 10,000 times better then chemo medicine. will i get this in bangalore

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  14. its a ram phal ... however I dont know where in India do we exactly get this fruit ??? wanna know its a seasonal fruit, or not and also whether it is available in high altitutude places like in himalayas, in sikkim, himachal etc ???

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  15. Google soursop and and you will know every bit of ram phal

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the info, but soursop is Hanuman phal, not Ram phal.. this one doesnt have thorns

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  16. Custard apple (Annona reticulata) /Red Custard apple

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