Report- Rajat Kumar
Etawah: The seedless pod that grows in the forest during rainy season due to the sound of thunder and lightning is called “Garje”. The people of Etawah are quite crazy about this Garje. This Garje is being sold in the market at the rate of Rs. 600 per kg. Along with Garje, some people also call this unique seedless pod that grows in the forest during rainy season as wild mushroom.
It is said that every year during the rainy season, seedless wild mushrooms grow in large numbers in the forest. The villagers wait to eat these mushrooms throughout the year, but as soon as the rains begin, there is a competition among the villagers to get these wild mushrooms.
People who like Garje buy it in large quantities and take it home and after cleaning it, prepare a vegetable and consume it. Experts say that Garje is very good for human health. Garje is considered a big source of protein. For this reason, wild mushroom has been a favourite among people for a long time.
Garje is grown in abundance in the Chambal region of Etawah district and in the ravines. The local villagers dig out Garje from the ground and consume it themselves and also sell it in the open market.
Etawah’s District Forest Officer Atul Kant Shukla says that wild mushrooms are being grown in large quantities in the forests of Etawah district during the rainy season. It is not that it is being grown only in the forests. This mushroom is also being grown in the farmers’ fields. He says that wild mushrooms are considered very beneficial for human health and that is why the villagers also like it in large numbers. The forest officer also says that it has also come to his notice that some outsiders are also entering the forest and digging out wild mushrooms from the ground and taking them to other districts. Regarding this, he has activated the watchers of the forest department. The watchers of the forest department have been instructed that no outsider should be able to enter the forest and find wild mushrooms from the forest. Special care should be taken of this.
Experts say that this seedless pod that grows in the rainy season is called Gucchi in Uttarakhand and is sold in the open market at the rate of Rs 30,000 per kg. From its rate, one can guess how important this pod can be for human health. This pod grows in forests across the country and is called by different names everywhere. Advocate Vikas Diwakar, a resident of Chambal area, says that wild mushrooms grow in large quantities in the ravines of Chambal during the rainy season. It is called Garje, it is also said that as the clouds thunder and lightning gains strength, this pod-like vegetable suddenly starts coming out from under the ground and that is why it is called Garje.
Tags: Local18
FIRST PUBLISHED : August 18, 2024, 21:31 IST