Skip to main content

Featured Post

The Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves , located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri, about 11 Km off the coast of the Gateway of India, Mumbai, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to these caves, excavated probably in the 6 th century CE, is awe-inspiring, and also thought-provoking. Over the years, I have visited the caves a number of times, and also attended a number of talks by experts in the fields of art, history and archaeology on the caves. Together, they help me understand these caves, their art, and the people they were created for, just a little bit better. Every new visit, every new talk, every new article I read about the caves, fleshes out the image of what the island and the caves would have been like, at their peak. I last wrote about the caves on this blog, in 2011, almost exactly 11 years ago. Since then, my understanding of the caves has, I would like to think, marginally improved. Hence this attempt to write a new and updated post, trying to bring to life, the caves of Elephan
Post a Comment

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!!


Posted by Picasa
Labels:

Comments

  1. Tarun MitraFebruary 10, 2010 at 2:18 PM

    An alien fruit :P

    ReplyDelete
  2. MridulaFebruary 10, 2010 at 2:30 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
  3. chitraFebruary 10, 2010 at 2:33 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anuradha ShankarFebruary 10, 2010 at 2:37 PM

    @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!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bhavesh ChhatbarFebruary 10, 2010 at 2:47 PM

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

    Wednesday Wallpapers — Subscription

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anuradha ShankarFebruary 10, 2010 at 2:48 PM

    @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...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bhavesh ChhatbarFebruary 10, 2010 at 2:49 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
  8. jayasreeFebruary 10, 2010 at 3:16 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  9. indicaspeciesFebruary 10, 2010 at 9:09 PM

    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.

    ReplyDelete
  10. chitraFebruary 10, 2010 at 10:12 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
  11. IndraniFebruary 11, 2010 at 10:30 AM

    I like the taste of Sita phal more. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nav Nirman FoundationAugust 11, 2010 at 4:04 PM

    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

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2010 at 3:05 PM

    I like to look at sita fal

    ReplyDelete
  14. ChittualbertFebruary 27, 2012 at 11:40 AM

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

    ReplyDelete
  15. kuntaSeptember 30, 2012 at 9:51 AM

    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 ???

    ReplyDelete
  16. UnknownDecember 4, 2012 at 5:19 PM

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarDecember 4, 2012 at 5:43 PM

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

      Delete
  17. AnonymousMarch 31, 2013 at 3:39 PM

    Custard apple (Annona reticulata) /Red Custard apple

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

The Havelis of Bikaner - A Photo Post

The lanes are narrow , twisting and turning amidst buildings old and new. Crumbling old structures with intricate workmanship stand side by side with art deco buildings, and more modern constructions, which follow no particular style. Autos, bicycles, motorcycles and vans rush past, blowing their horns as loudly as possible, while cows saunter past peacefully, completely unaffected by the noise. In the midst of all this chaos, children play by the side, and women go about their chores, as we explore these by-lanes of Bikaner, and its beautiful Havelis. Facade of one of the Rampuria Havelis
6 comments
Read more

Ladakh - Planning The Trip

Over 2000 Km by road, in around 10 days. Stunning landscapes, wonderful people. That sums up our Ladakh trip. But how did it actually work? How did we make it happen? Read on to find out!  Leh, the capital of Ladakh , is accessible by air and road. Flying into Leh is the easiest, and time-saving option, while the road is the time consuming one, but with the added advantage of driving past some of the most beautiful landscapes in our country. Each option has much to recommend it, and we chose the road for just one reason – altitude sickness. Altitude sickness was one of my biggest concerns, since I suffer from motion-sickness. Yes, I do travel a lot, but that is despite my condition, and, over the years, have learnt how to handle it. I struggled with it when we visited Nathu-La in Sikkim, and wondered if I would be able to manage a week at the even higher altitudes that we would encounter in Ladakh. This was the reason we stuck to a basic plan, of only 9 days in Ladakh, though we
11 comments
Read more

Bhedaghat - Home of the 81 Yoginis

The Narmada flows down the mountains , carving out a path for herself as she makes her way down to the plains of Central India. She cascades from the rocks, her fine spray making it appear as if billows of smoke (dhuan) arise from the flowing streams of water (dhaar), giving it the name Dhuandhar. Dhuandhar Falls The force of her flow creates a gorge , smoothening and carving out the rocks into fantastic shapes, the pure white of the rocks standing starkly against the shades of the water. It is a joy to cruise down the river in a boat, seeing the natural contours created by the river, now famous as the Marble Rocks. We are at Bhedaghat, located on the banks of the Narmada near Jabalpur, where thousands of visitors turn up to see these natural landscapes, creations of the sacred Narmada, and pay obeisance to her. However, to me, the most interesting thing about Bhedaghat, isn’t the falls or the rocks, or even the river. What makes Bhedaghat special is t
40 comments
Read more