It's unlikely that anyone would fail to recognize the famous sweet dish known as Jeri or Jalebi. Made from a thin batter of chickpea flour or refined flour, deep-fried like a Selroti, and then dipped in sugar syrup, this dessert is a favorite in Nepal. But if you try a Jeri in Pokhara, you'll find it's distinctly different in shape and color from those made by chefs in the Terai region. Without any added artificial coloring, these are not the typical thin, reddish Jeris. The Jeris here are unusually shaped like flowers.
Among the many sweet shops in Pokhara, the Chulyaju family's shop in Bhimsen Tole is particularly old and well-regarded. As the festive season begins, many customers flock to this shop to buy Jeri. Bringing sweets from the Chulyaju shop to gatherings has become a happy tradition for many families in Bhairav, Ganesh Tole, Nalamukh, and Bhimsensthan.
The shop is currently run by the youngest of the five Chulyaju brothers, 50-year-old Rajkumar, and his wife Dayalakshmi. Located on the road from the main market to the Bindhyabasini Temple, the shop is not equipped with modern showcases, tables, chairs, or attractive decorations. It has three gas stoves, an old tin chimney to vent steam and smoke, and a few simple wooden tables and chairs. Despite its simple appearance, the reputation of Chulyaju sweets is widespread across the city. "There's a reason we haven't expanded and decorated it," says Rajkumar. "Most of our customers place orders for Jeri, Gaja-Khasta, Lalmohan, and Enthe to take home. When not many people stay to eat, why bother with decoration?"
The history of Newar families settling in Pokhara to start businesses and preserve their culture dates back to the Malla period. The Chulyaju family was one such family that came from Bhaktapur. After seeing his friends become "Lahures" (Gurkha soldiers) in the British and Indian armies, a 29-year-old Siddhilal Chulyaju also felt the urge. He left home in 1985 to join the army but was unsuccessful. However, after spending five years in Burma, he returned with a new skill: making sweets.
Siddhilal Chulyaju, who returned from Burma with the skill of making sweets, opened a shop in Bhimsen Tole, Pokhara, in 1990 B.S. His descendants have been continuing this tradition. The taste of the sweets made by the Chulyaju family of Pokhara is distinct compared to other confectioners.
The man, known locally as "Bhutte," took a loan from local merchant Chandrabahadur Bataju and opened his shop in Nalamukh Chowk in 1990. It became famous as "Bhutte's Sweet Shop." He not only quickly repaid his loan but also used the shop's earnings to ensure a good life for his children. "We have seen this shop and eaten these sweets since we were kids," says Asthaman Pradhanang, a local who once wrote about the shop. According to him, it is difficult to find much information about Siddhilal since there are no living contemporaries. "He was one of those famous confectioners of that era who was both the owner and the artisan," Pradhanang recalls. "He was also a good-natured person who knew how to please his customers. Besides his work, he was a performer in the community's traditional Barahbhairav dance."
When King Mahendra visited Pokhara in 2015 B.S. (1958 A.D.), Sarvagyamana Pradhanang, then the president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, arranged for nearly 200 welcome arches to be built in the city. One of these arches, made of Selroti and Jeri by Siddhilal, became a huge attraction. King Mahendra called Siddhilal to Ratna Mandir in Lakeside, where the royal family tasted his creations.
Due to circumstances, Siddhilal was married three times. He had two daughters with his first wife, one son with his second, and four sons with his third. After his death in 2027 B.S. (1970 A.D.), some of his sons briefly took over the shop. However, the responsibility eventually fell to his youngest son, Rajkumar, who was then involved in student politics with the Nepali Congress at Prithivi Narayan Campus. He even spent a month and a half in jail, but when he took over the shop, his studies stopped, and he learned the art of making sweets.
These days, Rajkumar and Dayalakshmi can be found making sweets in the shop every day. "We mainly work on orders," says Dayalakshmi. "Since it's an old shop, our customers are also old regulars." According to her, they make an average of around 6,000 rupees worth of sweets a day. On busy days with orders, they prepare up to 20,000 rupees worth of sweets. Once famous for selling Puri, vegetables, and tea, Bhutte's Sweet Shop now only makes Jeri, Gaja-Khasta, Lalmohan, and Enthe. "We don't use artificial colors. A kilo of refined flour makes about 30 pieces," she says. "That's why Jeri is in high demand. We make Jeri the most, and many people take it home rather than eating it here."
When Rajkumar took over, the shop moved from Nalamukh to its current location in Bhimsen Tole on their own land. When Siddhilal started the shop, there were no proper roads. He would get refined flour, sugar, and ghee from the Terai and Baglung-Parvat. "Compared to my father's time, it's easier now. We just make a phone call, and refined flour, sugar, and sunflower oil are delivered to our home," says Rajkumar. "My father's reputation has sustained our shop until now. We haven't had to worry about customers leaving because of a change in taste."
Jeri is their most popular item, but Gaja-Khasta and Enthe, which are not easily found elsewhere, are also purchased as gifts by people traveling to the UK and Hong Kong. Rajkumar's 19- and 17-year-old children also help out at the shop in their spare time, but Rajkumar is not confident that the next generation will continue the family business. "It may look like making sweets, but it requires a special skill that isn't easy to learn. Workers we hire don't stay long," he says. "We will run it as long as we can. Who knows what the future holds?"
(Originally published on October 5, 2016, in a page of Kantipur daily; slightly edited for collection in this blog.)
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