It takes two to mango

When life gives you lemons, throw it back and say, I said I wanted a mango!!!’ Sounds perfect for the season, doesn’t it? Well, it was all about celebrating the king of fruits at Ranga Shankara on Sunday, where wacky quotes like this and more adorned the walls of the theatre’s cafe. Mango-shaped paper cuttings saying ‘Keep calm and eat aam’, ‘It takes two to mango’ and ‘Mangoman aka Aam-Aadmi’ caught the attention of many who came to relish the juicy fruit.

Dressed in bright colours, resonating with the fruit, like green, orange and yellow, people from all over the city came to enjoy the party, bringing a kilo of mangoes each to contribute to the indulgence. “We began a yearly mango party in 2002, even before Ranga Shankara was under construction. The idea was to bring the people of the city together to celebrate the fruit and share the joy,” said Arundhati Nag, managing trustee of the theatre.

A vibrant rangoli decorated the venue while an ‘urli’ containing water was placed at the entrance of the cafe wherein people dipped the mangoes they brought and everyone was free to pick, choose and savour as many as they liked. Additionally, the organisers also put up an attractive display of as many as 17 varieties including ‘mallika’, ‘thothapuri’, ‘byganpalli’, ‘kesari’, ‘himapas’, ‘badami’, ‘alphonso’, ‘nati’, ‘benishan’, ‘kalapahad’, ‘dasheri’, ‘amrapalli’, ‘sendura’, ‘langda’, ‘malgoa’, ‘sakkare gutti’ and ‘rasapuri’.

It was a truly wonderful sight with people feasting and slurping away every bit of the fruit that they so eagerly wait for throughout the year. While some chose knives to cut out slices, most preferred to get their hands messy and eat it whole. The beautiful, windy weather was apt for the gathering and the air was filled with the mesmerising aroma of this golden fruit.

“This is my first visit to this mango party. I really like the innovative idea and the fact that everyone can get to taste different varieties of mangoes under one roof,” said Kavitha, who visited with her husband Karteek.

Chirag, who was enjoying with his wife Deepti, daughter Mishka, brother Amrish and his wife Garima, gushed, “Most of us are mango lovers and it’s a great experience for us. We have brought some ‘badamis’ and ‘dasheris’ to add to the fun.” Amrish added, “It’s a unique concept as you get to interact with lots of people and share the love for mangoes.”

To add to it all, the cafe too had a selection of delicious mango-based delights. Beverages like ‘mavinkai neer gojju’, ‘mavinkai panna cooler’ and ‘mango lassi’ served as the perfect refreshments. Then there were savouries like ‘kai sasve chitranna’, ‘aamras puri’, ‘srikhand puri’, ‘kaadu mavinkai gojju with idiappam and chutney’ and ‘fresh mango grilled sandwich’. As for desserts, the ‘mango kulfi’ stole the show.

Sanjeevan Rao, another visitor, impressed everyone with her unique Maharashtrian preparation called ‘ambechidal’ comprising raw mango, soaked and ground gram dal, green chillies, curry leaves, ‘hing’ and coconut.

Meena, who expressed that she was determined to visit this time with her friends, said, “We tasted some unheard varieties of mango as well. Each had a different texture, taste and smell. I think I’ve overeaten!” Her friend’s  daughter Niharika was thrilled as she remarked, “I’ve never eaten so many mangoes in a day!” Performers Vasu Dixit and Bindhu Malini added to the charm with some great music. Surely, it was a summer date to remember!