The Hindu : New Delhi News : Annual mango festival opens today

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Saturday, Jul 07, 2007
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New Delhi

Annual mango festival opens today

Staff Reporter

Main attraction will be over 500 varieties on display from growers

In addition, a mango eating competition, a quiz for children would also be organised
The traditional growers of mango will participate in the two-day festival

NEW DELHI: The two-day Annual Mango Festival being organised by Delhi Tourism opens at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium here on Saturday. At a press conference here on Friday, Tourism Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will formally inaugurate the festival on Saturday.

Mr. Lovely said the main attraction of the festival will be the over 500 varieties of mangoes on display, including uncommon as well as commercially popular varieties from growers across the country. The varieties on display will include “kesar”, “banganpalli”, “totapari”, “safeda”, “neela fazli”, “mallika”, “dusheri”, “malda” and “amrapali”. Other highlights of the festival include sale of fresh mangoes and mango-based products, mango culinary contest and fruit and vegetable carving demonstrations by leading chefs of five-star hotels.

In addition, a mango eating competition and a mango quiz for children would also be organised as part of the festival apart from mango panna and squash preparation and demonstration by expert scientists. A cultural extravaganza sponsored by the Sahitya Kala Parishad and the Punjabi Academy will also be featuring in the festival.

According to Mr. Lovely the traditional growers of mango who have attained expertise over generations will participate in the mango festival and so will the institutions engaged in its research and propagation. The festival this year will see the active involvement of hotel and food processing industry. Apart from the opportunity to view and savour the varieties of mangoes, the festival offers a package deal of fun for adults and children. Mr. Lovely informed that India is the largest producer of mangoes in the world and of the 1,200 varieties grown all over the world, India itself grows 1,000 varieties. He informed that in 2006-07 mango exports touched 70,000 metric tonnes. The event is being organised by Delhi Tourism in association with Agriculture Produce Food Export and Development Authority (APEDA), National Horticulture Board, NDMC and Dabur.

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