Thrissur: A full bunch of bananas, 100 idlis and even buckets of rice do not matter to 64-year-old Rappai, who is an eating sensation in this Southern state of Kerala.

Born in a poor family, Rappai began his life very ordinarily till such time he developed an unusual appetite for consuming huge quantities of food, particularly bananas, offered during 'kumattikali', a street folklore quite common during "Onam" festival season.

"I was then hardly six years of age when the strange appetite started bothering my family, I was beaten quite often when I demanded more food," Rappai said.

It was at the age of 20, an incident changed his life forever. An unassuming Rappai shocked a hotel owner in the town by eating endlessly after taking a token for "unlimited" meals. He went on to eat three basins of rice, three buckets of meat, and one bucket of fish curry till the police was summoned to put an end to his marathon lunch.

However, this incident took Rappai into headlines of the local newspapers. Soon Rappai became a celebrity often hired for eating demonstrations at exhibitions and competitions organised in connection with food festivals throughout the state.

Of course the several competitions in which he had participated had brought him laurels and money to the extent that he was able to manage his domestic expenses, marry off three sisters and even clear off some of his debts.

"Today, the situation is very different and there are no sponsors," Rappai, who now earns a living by doing errands to neighbours and well-wishers, said.

A pure vegetarian at competitions, Rappai says non-vegetarian food is always difficult to digest. The biggest competition he won was at Kasaragod five years ago when he ate as many as 750 idlis at a stretch.

Rappai who still cherishes a dream to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, however, said "I now feel I am too old for any fresh records and moreover I do not want to travel abroad."

His latest achievements were during last 'Onam' when he inaugurated a bakery at Kochi eating five kilos of 'halwa' and 50 Idlis besides drinking enormous amount of water. Later he inaugurated a club at Palakkad eating 50 baked bananas and 50 laddus. On both the occasions, he was given Rs 10,000 in cash as 'prize money'.

During last December at Chalakudy in Thrissur, he ate a bunch of bananas, drank 35 glasses of Horlicks and earned Rs 15,000 in cash inaugurating a restaurant. And these are his occasional windfalls these days.

After being tricked by mixing his food with needles and iron pieces once during a competition at Punalur in Kollam, he now uses a food-testing machine before going in for a competition. He had even ensured the closure of some hotels that attempted to mix lime and soda in his food during competitions.

"I am ready for any number of competitions provided I am well taken care of and adequately compensated," Rappai, the legendary eating sensation of Kerala, said.

PTI