M Aamir KhanSrinagar: If you ask roadside vendor Mohan Lal about the cost of the kulfi he sells, he will point toward two images on his cart that read Rs. 10 and Rs. 20 respectively.
Even though Lal is speech and hearing impaired, he assumes that a customer is asking about the cost of the kulfi when they come close to his cart at Jammu city’s Residency Road area.
His humble nature and ‘lip smacking’ kulfis have made him so popular that he has become a star of sorts among the food bloggers.
Bloggers, who cover street food, make sure that they pay a visit to Lal’s cart during a visit to Jammu.
Popular food blogger Akash Deep Choudhary of ‘@foodastronauts’ fame said Lal’s kulfi was among the tastiest in the region as it was made of pure milk.
“Unlike others, he does not mix water and his lip-smacking kulfi is made of pure milk. He is counted among the tastiest kulfi sellers of Jammu and has become very popular among the food bloggers as well,” Akash told The Kashmir Monitor.
Another Jammu-based food blogger Laksh Dhalla of ‘@duggar_vlogs’ fame said Lal’s unique way of communicating with his customers had made him famous.
“If you want to buy a kulfi, he points to the Rs 20 and Rs 10 images on his cart. If you ask for his name through sign language, he will show you his aadhaar card. Food bloggers are promoting Lal as he has not let his hearing and speech impairment become a roadblock and he earns his livelihood with respect,” Laksh told The Kashmir Monitor.
Kashmir valley based food blogger Omar Rather of ‘Kashmirfoodgram’ fame said he had gone to Jammu to cover Lal’s kulfi especially.
“I was impressed with his mannerism and his attitude and that is why I did a story on Lal’s kulfi after traveling to Jammu from Srinagar. Bloggers and people, in general, should promote Lal and also learn from him as he is an inspiration for everybody,” Omar told The Kashmir Monitor.
