500 varieties of mangoes from across India on display at Delhi's Chanakyapuri

Indian Express

06-07-2025

At this celebration of aam, mango lovers are no longer sticking to their favourites: they are wandering from one stall to another, exploring the varieties they have never seen before. While some pick up the fruit to inhale its aroma, others press gently to assess its ripeness.
This is day one of the two-day mango festival 'Khass-ye-Aam', being organised for the first time by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) at Chanakyapuri. Free and open to all, the festival, which began on Saturday, serves as a platform for empowering farmers, promoting agricultural innovation, and celebrating India's rich agricultural diversity.
A total of over 500 varieties of mangoes from across the nation are at display, including Arunika, Ambika, Sansesan, Tomy, Fajali, Langra, Lucknow Safeda, Kachcha Meetha, Dudhiya Gola, Matka Gola, Safeda Amin, Desi Kism, Desi Gola, Desi tuharu, Munjar Amin, Kism Azad, Gulab Khas, Gulab Jamun, Dashari, Amrapali, Hathi jhool, Malika, and Chausa.
Farmers and cooperatives from states such as Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Bihar are participating, along with government institutions, including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH) in Lucknow, and ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi.
From the capital, farmers and vendors from Azadpur Mandi display their mango varieties– Nepali Dussehra and Chausa.
'It is an effort to provide direct exposure to farmer societies, research institutes, and vendors, with the spirit of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, while it also highlights the NDMC's commitment to inclusive growth and farmer-centric development,' said NDMC vice chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal.
At a distance of a few metres from the entry gate, over 25 stalls are docked, where mangoes are kept in multiple rows. The stalls read the names of the farmer, cooperatives and their native place.
'Taste it first, then buy it,' says a farmer from Uttar Pradesh as he cuts a fresh slice of Amrapali mango, a hybrid of the 'Dasheri' and 'Neelum' varieties and offers it to a lady.
While the farmers attend to the crowd, a sweet competition is unfolding on a round table at a corner, where scientists hold a book and a pen, observing and testing the following categories: Dasheri, Amrapali, Mallika, Chausa, and Ram Kela. Here, along with the scientists, visitors are allowed to taste and provide their input.
The air has become sweet, and farmers and scientists have become busy answering the queries of mango lovers. 'Kitne din tak theek rahega ye?' (For how long will this mango be fresh?), 'Bhaiya iski khusboo toh mast aa rahi hai, ek peti ka kitna?' (Brother, this smells good, what is the price of a full box?) were some of the questions asked of the farmers.
However, some varieties of mangoes stole the limelight with either their bizarre names or sizes.
Two such were 'Sensation' and 'Tommy Atkins', displayed at the stall by the scientist from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)- Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), Lucknow, and ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi.
According to Dr Ashish Yadav, principal scientist from the Lucknow institute, Sensation and Tommy Atkins are both exotic mango varieties from Florida, USA, with the latter accounting for 80 per cent of the US and European market.
'We use Tommy Atkins as a male parent for crossing given its trait of strong firmness, and sensation for its taste, colour and shelf life,' he says, adding that the good traits of mangoes are chosen for hybridising.
However, the new varieties developed by the scientists include Awadh Abhaya and Awadh Samriddhi, both with long shell life.
Visitors read the names stuck on the basket of mangoes carefully and try to understand what they mean. According to another scientist, Dr Jaiprakash, principal scientist at IARI, Delhi, the names are based on traits.
When ripened, the Arunima possesses a deep red hue, like sunlight caught in its skin, 'Samriddhi,' which brings wealth wherever it goes, and 'Awadh Abhaya,' where 'abhaya' means fearless due to its firm skin.
'This is a great platform where the people will get to taste new varieties of mangoes, from the existing ones and so that mango's market also expands,' adds Jaiprakash.
Some farmers have come to sell their fruit, while others showcase their harvest and conduct marketing, exchanging numbers with importers and exporters at the site.
Soon, the results were announced, and a farmer from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, Mohammad Mujeeb, says he won three prizes across the categories. 'I was very sure that I would win in the Ram Kela category. I'm thrilled that Indians are now able to see 500-plus varieties of mangoes just from UP. Festivals like this should happen every year,' he says. The winners get cash prizes.
Another farmer, Sudhanshu Maurya from Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, who has stocks of Mallica, Sensation, and Dussehri kept at the stall, says, 'I can see how this is a delight for the Delhiites who are seeing such varieties for the first time at one place, it's our pride.'
A mango lover from Delhi who is very curious about the 'Neembu' variety of mango says, 'The aroma here reminds me of my childhood, I feel like picking one of each variety.'
Meanwhile, mango-eating competitions for various age groups are also being organised.