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Latest updates: August 23, 2023, 11:04 am IST
Neil Armstrong Seeing the Malayali tea stall on Moon Joke (Image source: X)
‘Neil Armstrong with the Malayali on the moon’ is a joke you must know before landing Chandrayaan-3.
It is a widely known fact from our childhood that Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon. What still lurks, however, is the humorous idea that he has met a Malayali tea seller whose base is right on the surface of the moon! Seems pretty interesting, doesn’t it? This joke is merely a playful creative take on the age-old saying, ‘You’ll find a Malayali wherever you go’, highlighting the state’s remarkable migration wave, especially to the Gulf countries.
But why a specific tea stall? This choice stems from the historical popularity of teahouses run by Keralites, especially in neighboring southern states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The city of Madras, now known as Chennai, was once the center of Southern cinema. Many Keralas, who harbor aspirations of making a name for themselves in the film industry, have ventured to Chennai. When their cinematic pursuits didn’t go as planned, they continued to open teahouses in the city. These teahouses are repeatedly depicted in Tamil films.
Thus, the joke that Armstrong observed a teahouse on the moon went like this: Upon landing on the lunar surface, Armstrong was greeted with the tune of a 1960s Malayalam song. As he got closer, he noticed a teahouse decorated with a sign that humorously read: ‘Matham parayaruth’ (Do not discuss religion here). A good-natured Chettan (brother) wearing a lungi was seen preparing steaming cups of tea. According to the joke, this Chettan offered Armstrong a cup of tea which he enjoyed very much. Since then, numerous cartoons and caricatures depicting this imaginative scenario have appeared on various platforms, perpetuating this interesting story for generations.
Also Read: Driver Parks Bus On Busy Road For Tea Break, Causing Traffic
Interestingly, this joke recently resurfaced when actor Prakash Raj mentioned it in a post about Chandrayaan-3, conjuring up a joke about a tea seller. Although Raj faced backlash for his comment, he later clarified that it was just a Kerala tea-seller’s joke that dates back to Armstrong’s time.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu Man Celebrates India’s Moon Mission with Chandrayaan-3 Miniature Made in Gold
In essence, many of us only discovered this funny anecdote recently, thanks to Raj for making the ‘tea’.
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