Sonipat: Gohana's Jalebis have always been the talk of the town. It's not only loved by the people in India but across the world. The credit for the Jalebis being popular goes to late Lala Matu Ram.
What is so special about the jalebi?
Surpassing the standard size of jalebis, Gohana's Lala Matu Ram's stall offers jalebis of 250 grams each, as such 1 kg of jalebis only has four pieces in it. Unlike other jalebis, Matu Ram's jalebis are crisp from outside and soft from the inside. The best thing about the sweet is that it is made with pure desi ghee without any adulteration. Since there is no food colour or chemicals added, the jalebis are edible for the duration of at least 12 days and taste just the same.
The story of the tasty jalebis
Matu Ram, a resident of Lath Joli village is the one who came up with the recipe of the famous sweet. His family came from an agricultural background, however, Matu Ram's interest was always in confectionery. Today, he is a well-known 'Halwai' all around the country.
In the year 1955, he came to Gohana from his village and pursued his interest in confectionery. At that time, jalebi was a popular sweet among people. Matu Ram prepared a wooden kiosk in Purani Mandi and started with his going-to-be-huge jalebi business with just the wooden article which lasted until the year 1968.
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How did the business turn huge?
In 1968, the government got built half a dozen shops in Gohana Mandi. The government then leased these shops to traders for up to 100 years. Fortunately, Matu Ram scored one of those shops and established a well-known business where people from far and wide started to come to relish jalebis.
Even today, Matu Ram's jalebis are the first choice even for politicians who book it for wedding and swearing-in ceremonies. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's third swearing-in ceremony also featured the famous jalebis.
Former President of Pakistan has tasted and loved the jalebis
Former President of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf, who had visited Agra years ago, was gifted 50 boxes of Gohana's Jalebi as a gesture of respect by the then Chief Minister of Haryana, Chaudhary Om Prakash Chautala. Pervez Musharraf heavily praised the delicious delight.
Even former Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal was a fan of Gohana's jalebis
Former Deputy Prime Minister Late Chaudhary Devi Lal was so fond of Lala Matu Ram's Jalebi that he would always order not less than 1 kg of it. Not only Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and his ministers, but former Chief Minister Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh Hooda and his wife Asha Hooda plus the entire Hooda family are also fans of Matu Ram's Jalebi.
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Demand is on even from abroad
Gohana jalebis' demand comes from Pakistan, China, Japan, Nepal, America, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and even Saudi Arabia.
At present, Matu Ram's legacy is being handled by his two grandchildren Neeraj and Raman Gupta.
