How PM’s sweet appreciation triggered a late-night scramble for tender coconut in Kochi

New Delhi: Kerala’s famed tender coconut juice has floored none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I have never tasted such sweet tender coconut in my life,” the prime minister told staff of the Ernakulam Guest House during his stay there.

And the endorsement of Kerala’s tender coconut by the top executive of the country had a sweet cascading effect.

Tender coconut water was offered as the welcome drink when he arrived at the Ernakulam Guest House after the roadshow on January 16.

The PM conveyed his wish to get some tender coconut from Kochi through Special Protection Group officials.

Though he drinks tender coconut whenever he travels in the country, the one he tasted here was so tasty, he reportedly told them.

Police officials then went on an overnight drive to procure twenty tender coconuts to be taken to Delhi from a shop at Marine Drive.

Since it was midnight the shop was closed but then when the PM expresses such a wish, all doors open.

Tender coconuts were flown to Delhi as it is by the PM’s entourage.

As he was on a ‘Vrat’ ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ayodhya Ram temple, the PM ate just dry fruits and had coconut only for dinner. At the seventh floor suit of the Guest House, the PM slept on the floor by rolling out a yoga mat and a sheet.

This was despite a Rs 30,000 kings size bed of the Coirfed being kept ready for the prime minister.

The next day morning also, the PM had asked for just warm water from the Guest House kitchen.