The Hindu : New Delhi News : Celebrating the king of fruits

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 06, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Celebrating the king of fruits

Mandira Nayar

NEW DELHI: It is all about the "king". Celebrating India's most famous fruit in all its pulpy glory, the Delhi Government is organising a festival centred on the mango.

At the two-day 18th Mango Festival that opens at Talkatora Indoor Stadium here this weekend, nearly 500 varieties of the fruit will be on display, including the usual known varieties "alphanso" and "safeda" to the more exotic "fazli", "mallika" and "amrapali".

"The mango is believed to be indigenous to the Indian sub-continent. The fruit has been under cultivation for more than 4,000 years and there is a deep bond between the fruit and the cultural history of the region," said Delhi Tourism Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely.

Apart from just getting to see the best mangoes in the business, visitors will also get a chance to taste the fruit. While there will be plenty of opportunity to just eat the mango in its usual messy way, there will also be food centred around the mango. And chefs from five-star hotels will have a contest to see who can make the best out of the fruit.

To give children a chance to know the fruit a little better, there will be a mango quiz. Mango "panna" and squash will be on sale at the festival.

The largest producer of mangoes in the world, over 1,200 varieties of mangoes are grown in the country. A major supplier to international markets, the festival also aims to give foreign buyers an exposure to this fruit.

"India exports mangoes to the United Arab Emirates and is also planning to enter virgin territories of China and Japan," said Mr. Lovely.

And for those who want more than just taste and flavour, there will also be some cultural entertainment.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi