India, June 20 -- Plop!

That's the sound these berries make after they fall from the tree, their purple juice sometimes squirting out in all directions on hitting the hard earth.

The stains explain that why Walled City hawker Kishore is no longer hawking bananas. He is, instead, carrying a basket of these berries on his head, walking all day from gali to gali, hoarsely crying, "jamun walla, jamun le lo."

Say hello to Delhi's jamun season.

This evening, at a central Delhi roundabout, scores of men have gathered around a jamun tree, violently shaking its branches, causing the berries to fall, one after another. These jamuns will later be gathered for an impromptu feast.

Some metres away, street vendor Mahaveer's cart is left with only ...