Watermelon in my sharbat at Madurai roadside shops

Near Pasumalai arch, B Tamil Selvi and her mother have been running a small sharbat shop for about seven years. “Once summer begins, especially after March, we will be extremely busy,” she says, adding: “Though many new summer drinks come to the market, the traditional sharbat is still enjoyed by many people,” she adds.

Madurai-based Chef T. Gautam Venkat traces the origins of the sharbat drink to Madurai. “Several years ago, people in the Middle East introduced the sharbat drink to keep themselves cool and hydrated in the hot and humid weather. This tasty drink was originally made with rose petals and a mix of fruits like oranges and mangoes, etc, along with chia seeds as a main ingredient.”

He explains, how the drink has travelled across regions. “With the movement of trade, sharbat slowly finds a place in India.

Tamil Selvi recalls how sharbat was made in those days, “Earlier, people made sharbat syrup by themselves by soaking roots of the nannari plant for hours, and it was strained, then the mix was boiled along with a lemon slice and palm sugar or jaggery. After extracting the syrup, they made the drink, which was then stored in mud pots to keep it cool. Back then, to enjoy chilled beverages, people stored them in mud pots. But now we easily get sharbat syrup,” she says, smiling.

David offers refreshing watermelon sharbat at The Madura College, Madurai.
| Photo Credit:
MOORTHY G

Across the city, sharbats taken on exciting flavours. V David sells watermelon sharbats in a pushcart opposite the Madura College, where he attracts young large crowds. Watermelons are not served as slices here. Instead, in a glass as a refreshing drink along with sharbat.

David offers refreshing watermelon sharbat at The Madura College, Madurai.
| Photo Credit:
MOORTHY G

He describes how the drink is made: “Pieces of watermelon are smashed coarsely until it becomes semi-liquid texture. I then add sharbat syrup to it. Finally, small chunks of fruits are dropped in to enhance the taste. And in goes soaked sabja seeds and agar-agar, followed by a squeeze of lime, which gives a little bit of tanginess to balance the sweet,” he says.

He prefers to go with less ice. Too much of it, he points out, tends to flatten the taste. “Some customers ask for extra ice, but the flavour comes through better without it.”

Elaneer sharbat is equally popular. In Ponmeni, P Isravel has been serving elaneer sharbat for over 15 years. The concept, he says, came from watching customer preferences. “People would either choose tender coconut or sharbat. We thought — why not combine them?” he says.

Isravel serves ‘elaneer sharbat’ for thirsty customers at Ponmeni, Madurai.
| Photo Credit:
MOORTHY G

This famous summer drink is prepared simply by mixing coconut water with sharbat, with a hint of lemon and thin slices of tender coconut for a crunch in between. Sabja seeds and agar-agar are a must . “Sales are high usually between noon and 3pm when the sun is at its peak,” he says.

Isravel serves ‘elaneer sharbat’ for thirsty customers at Ponmeni, Madurai.
| Photo Credit:
MOORTHY G

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“This is a unique drink, and it is interesting to have a bite of tender coconut along with it, ” says D Vinith Raj, pausing between sips near Ponmeni. “You get the mild coconut taste first, and then the sweetness comes in slowly.”

Another roadside shop is gaining a steady crowd for yet another simple drink — milk sharbat. Near Mathuthavani bus stand, V Nageshwari mixes the syrup with milk, giving the drink a thicker, richer taste along with sabja seeds.

“This is my son’s idea,” she says with a smile. “He had tried a drink like this elsewhere and asked me to make the same in our shop, which received a great response from customers.”

Nageshwari serves delicious milk sharbat near Maatuthavani, Madurai..
| Photo Credit:
MOORTHY G

Not far away, M Surya, with her family’s support, has been running a sarbath shop near Lady Doak College in Madurai for the past seven months. She offers a variety of sarbaths.

Surya explains, “It started as a simple sarbath shop, but I later decided to include a range of unique flavors, as people today are looking for something different.” She adds, “Our most popular drink is the milk sarbath, which is thick and luscious. We offer it in various colorful flavors, such as strawberry and grape.”

Not only does the taste attract customers, the vibrant colours do as well. Since the shop is located near a college, it has become a regular hangout spot for students.

“For many, summer is incomplete without sharbat,” says M Vishal, an IT employee. “I have been having Nannari sharbat since I was a child. This is the first time I’m trying milk sharbat; it tastes different and good.”

Published – April 03, 2026 10:48 am IST