Of Mango magic in Mughal Gardens

Besides traditional favourites like Dusseri,Langra,Amrapali,Mallika and Chausa,some interesting new varieties of mangoes could also be found. Show stoppers were Zalim Anda,Roshan Tabbak,Surkha Gulab and Viktor Indika which managed to pull large crowds. Soyab Farms from Saharanpur also offered to display the ‘Hitler’,an extremely sour variety of mango used for pickles,the trees of which have been imported from Africa. It also displayed ‘Valentine 2K’ ,heart-shaped sweet twin mangoes with two seeds in every fruit. The exhibitor said that they have just one tree of this variety and the fruits are not for sale.

Activities like rangoli-making,drawing,painting,fancy dress,face-painting,dance and mango-eating competitions were held for children. The mangoes were also exhibited for competition under various categories meant for government institutions,individual farm owners,mango processed products and for ‘best display’ and ‘best mango-growers’.

Some exhibitors,however,complained that the mela was becoming an exceedingly unprofitable affair due to red-tapism and reducing profits. “While there is hardly any profit,about half the quantity of fruits brought here are picked up by officials on some pretext or other. Of the one and a half quintal mangoes brought here,only about 70 Kilogram is sold,” said one exhibitor.