The Hindu : New Delhi News : A hearty feast of rich mangoes

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Saturday, Jul 05, 2008
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New Delhi

A hearty feast of rich mangoes

Madhur Tankha

Photo: V. Sudershan

It’s all in the aroma: Early visitors at the Mango Festival in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI: It was a virtual feast for the eyes of fruit lovers at the 20th Mango Festival that got under way in Hall No. 7 of Pragati Maidan here on Friday with over 500 varieties of the succulent fruit on display.

Not surprisingly, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit chose to see almost all the mouth-watering varieties and even interact with some mango growers before giving the go-ahead to the three-day festival that is being held at the exhibition ground for the first time.

“This time round mango growers from nine States are participating in the festival. Besides savouring a wide varieties of mangoes, Delhiites will also get an opportunity to enhance their knowledge about the different varieties of mangoes, from the succulent to the not so juicy ones and still others big enough to feed a large family,” said Ms. Dikshit.

The Chief Minister said mangoes were popular from the Kashmir Valley to the backwaters of Kerala. “It is important to increase our exports to other countries. I am happy to learn that the United States and Japan have started importing mangoes from our country. Earlier people across the globe used to eat Indian mangoes because of their taste and fragrance. Now other countries have started growing this fruit, but then Indian mangoes are special,” she added.

While “Kala Pahar” and “Rumani” have come in from Tamil Nadu, “Totapuri” and “Neelam” have come from Karnataka. Then there are mangoes with peculiar names like ‘Tamur Lung”, “Saeega” and “Langra Rampur”.

Later the Chief Minister felicitated Kaleemullah Khan with a citation and a shawl. Khan, who is holder of the Limca Book of Records for growing more than 300 varieties of mangoes on a single tree, even sliced pieces from a special mango grown by him for Ms. Dikshit, who ate it up with utmost relish.

In an informal interaction, Mr. Khan said he has diligently worked all his life to grow new varieties of mangoes.

Three new varieties of mangoes grown by him have been named “Anarkali”, “Naintara” and “Jahanara” by the Uttar Pradesh Governor, T.V. Rajeswar.

“I have named one variety after actor Aishwarya,” said Mr. Khan, who has an orchard in Malihabad.

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