Haryana assembly elections 2024 | Sweet connection: Gohana's famous jumbo-sized 'jalebi' and polls

Chandigarh: Gohana's jumbo-sized 'jalebi' and Haryana polls have a connection, a sweet one, and it is rare that the name of the famous Matu Ram 'halwai' may not figure in speeches of top politicians across parties during the elections.

The parties and contesting candidates may run bitter campaigns against each other, but when the name of the jumbo 'jalebi' figures in speeches of some of them, it brings sweetness to their expressions.

Haryana goes to polls on Saturday and the poll campaign came to an end on Thursday evening.

About the famed Gohana jalebi, Raman Gupta says the jumbo-sized sweet was introduced in 1958 in Gohana by his grandfather late Matu Ram. Now, it is being run by Matu Ram's third generation.

"Me and my brother Neeraj run the shop now," Raman told PTI on Friday.

"The jalebi is made of pure desi ghee, is crispy yet soft and each one weighs around 250 gram. A box of four pieces weighing a kg costs Rs 320. The shelf life of the sweet is more than a week," he said.

During elections, there are heavy orders from political leaders, while some of them like to visit the shop in Gohana for a sweet bite.

On Tuesday, while addressing an election rally in Gohana, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi showed a box of the famous jalebi-maker Matu Ram halwai and emphasised that his jalebi should be sold across the country and be exported which will generate more employment opportunities.

During his speech at the rally, Gandhi said he tasted the famous Matu Ram halwai's 'jalebi' in the car and sent a message to his sister and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra that "today I have eaten the best jalebi of my life".

"I am bringing a box of jalebi for you too," said Gandhi.

"Then I told (Congress leaders) Deepender and Bajrang Punia Ji that this jalebi should go to the whole world," he told the rally.

Earlier in May, while addressing a poll rally for the Lok Sabha polls in Gohana, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had referred to "Matu Ram ki jalebi" to target the opposition.

Attacking the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc, Modi had then said they have a formula of having five prime ministers in five years if they come to power.

"Ask them is the prime minister's post our Matu Ram ki jalebi?" Giving details of how the famous shop in Gohana came into being, Raman Gupta said initially the idea behind the jumbo-sized jalebi was to cater to farmers.

"Gohana has a big grain market. The farmers used to toil very hard in the fields, and even in adverse weather conditions. The big jalebi made of pure desi ghee not only gave them the needed calories, but it also had a shelf life of many days and they could relish it at any time.

"Initially, it was a small shop and over the years when it became famous, even top politicians crossing through Gohana used to spare time to relish the sweet," he said.

Raman Gupta (37) says even former deputy prime minister Chaudhary Devi Lal used to be fond of Matu Ram's jalebis.

"In the ongoing Haryana elections, Chief Minister Nayab Saini ji and Congress leader Deepender Hooda made a brief halt at our shop," he said.

He also said the family had to approach the high court earlier and file a suit against several traders who have been preparing and selling jalebis in the name of Matu Ram, thus violating the copyright trademark.