A luscious affair

Mango mania

It’s that season of the year when all other fruits, no matter how tasty or healthy, fail to spell their charm. For the mango, undoubtedly, wins hands down. And those who haven’t tasted the season’s fruit yet, the ‘Mango Mela’ at Lalbagh is where you need to head to.

The sweet smell of the fruit welcomes you as you enter the garden, inviting you for what’s in store. There are over 100 stalls selling around 15 varieties of mangoes from Srinivaspur in Kolar district, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara, Tumakuru, Chitradurga and Bengaluru rural as well as urban. And if you want, you can even ask to taste a small piece of the particular variety that you want to buy. The stall owners are more than happy to oblige.

“We had 90 stalls last year and this year, there are 102. The farmers have to only pay Rs 250 per stall and all the other charges and expenses are borne by the Board. The produce is sold directly from the farmers to the consumers. They are fresh, carbide-free mangoes and only ethylene has been used for ripening,” said Gunavantha, deputy director for Mango Board.

“‘Badami’ and ‘Mallika’ are the most sought-after varieties here. We are expecting a sale of around 1,500 tonnes during this 20-day fair,” he added. Mango lovers can look forward to buying ‘Mallika’ (Rs 65 a kg), ‘Baiganpalli’ (Rs 50), ‘Raspuri’ (Rs 50), ‘Dussehri’ (Rs 70), ‘Alphonso’ (Rs 80), ‘Kala Pahad’ (Rs 50), ‘Neelam’ (Rs 30), ‘Sindura’ (Rs 30), ‘Badami’ (Rs 70) and a few more varieties.

Nidhi, a resident of Punjab, who was visiting the city with her mother, said, “I have never been to a mango ‘mela’ before and it’s fascinating to see so many varieties here. We have bought a kilo of ‘Alphonso’ mangoes to enjoy. It’s been a great experience!”

Sonali, another visitor, also expressed her fondness for the fruit. “Though I am a Bengalurean, I have never visited the ‘mela’ earlier. It’s great that something like this is organised; it gives Lalbagh a different face altogether. There are fine quality mangoes available here and I am certainly planning to buy some ‘Badami’,” said Sonali.

Janardhan Rao, who was also visiting with his wife, was happy that he was able to get fresh mangoes at the ‘mela’. “Even the prices are quite reasonable when compared to other shops and places. People should visit the fair to encourage farmers and appreciate their hardwork,” he stated. The ‘mela’ also has around 15 stalls with different varieties of jackfruit available for sale. It will be on till May 25.