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Sindoor to Yogi-Raaj: Blend of creativity, innovation showcased at mango festival in Lucknow
Uniquely named and distinctively grown varieties, ranging from Sindoor to Yogi-Raaj, stole the show at the annual Mango Festival in Lucknow, showcasing creativity, nationalism and horticultural innovation. Mangoes displayed at the fesitval in Lucknow. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo)
Inaugurated by chief minister Yogi Adityanath at Awadh Shilpgram on Friday, the three-day festival displayed hundreds of mango varieties, but it was the unusually named ones among them that drew the attention of one and all.
Among them was the red 'Sindoor' mango, named after 'Operation Sindoor', India's military response to the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Operation Sindoor targeted terror-related sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in May.
'Its vermilion hue symbolises the valour of the Indian Army,' said SC Shukla, a noted mango grower from Lucknow. 'It has excellent shelf life, aroma, and taste making it a tribute to the country's pride.'
'Yogi-Raaj' and 'Modi' mangoes added more flavour to the festival. The Yogi-named variety, weighing around 1.5 kg, was developed by veteran horticulturist and Padma Shri Haji Kalimullah Khan, who said, 'Its weight reflects the impactful personality of Yogi Adityanath.'
The 'Modi Mango', weighing around 400 grams, was developed in 2023 by Upendra Kr Singh, a Malihabad-based grower and general secretary of the Awadh Mango Producer Horticulture Committee.
'This variety was inspired by Modi's 56-inch chest metaphor and has been patented through ICAR-CISH (Indian Council of Agricultural Research's Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture),' he told HT. ICAR-CISH's Vineet Singh, a senior research fellow, added: 'It was developed from a seedling and showed superior quality, hence the patent was secured.'
Apple-like mango?
The 'Aam-Apple', a mango which was so apple-like in appearance that it confused many at first glance, turned heads at the festival. 'This variety was sourced from Goa and is now being grown in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar,' said Sanjay Singh, who showcased the fruit. 'It thrives in most climates and tastes incredibly sweet.'
