The mango, the beloved fruit of many, has always been a part of our conversations, culture, religion, history, politics, etc. As Sopan Joshi, writer of the book, Mangifera indica — A Biography of The Mango, states, the mango is the anchor of our socio-cultural life.
Joshi was speaking about mangoes and his book on the subject at the recent 13th Goa Arts and Literature Festival (GALF) at ICG, Dona Paula.
In his address, he discussed various mango varieties and the grafting techniques that Jesuit priests from Goa introduced to the Mughal courts in the 16th century. He emphasised the need for further research on this topic by historians, as there is indirect evidence supporting it.
MANGO VARIETIES
He mentioned that grafted mango varieties have gained significant popularity over the past 70 years.
“Grafted varieties became popular after India’s independence as people wanted to protect their land from land ceiling, and thus, grew mango orchards on them.”
Speaking of varieties, he informed that there are 1,682 varieties of Mangifera indica, out of which, around 1,000 are found in India.
“We have so many varieties of mango as this species is genetically highly unstable and extremely heterozygous (two different versions of a gene, one inherited from each parent). So, every mango seed has the potential to become a fantastic new variety,” he explained.
Joshi also highlighted the confusion surrounding the names of mango varieties, noting that they differ across various regions of India. For example, Alphonso/Hapus is known as Badami in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Banganpallee is called Badami here and Safeda in North India and there’s another Safeda which is called Dinga in Punjab.
“All mango names are relative, and give you a small picture of what the mango is about,” he shared.
The book Mangifera Indica is structured into 18 chapters, covering the history and culture of mango trees, their varieties, origin, botanical details, and even aspects of paleobotany.
CULTURAL SCENE
The book Mangifera Indica is structured into 18 chapters, covering the history and culture of mango trees, their varieties, origin, botanical details, and even aspects of paleobotany.
The most fascinating section focuses on the tree's cultural significance, delving into other aspects of the tree. He mentioned that talk of a ‘fine variety’ of mangoes started in the late Medieval period when people from Central Asia started coming in India.
Joshi goes on to explain that the flowering of the mango tree is associated with Basant, or Spring Festival, especially in North India and how it is connected with love and desire.
He gave the example of the Vedic deity, Kamadev, as one of his arrows is the inflorescence of the mango tree.
In this case, the mango is associated with procreation and birth, but then, it is also associated with death as its timber and also that of seedling (wild) variety is used in the funeral pyres in Hindu tradition.
Speaking of varieties, he informed that there are 1,682 varieties of Mangifera indica, out of which, around 1,000 are found in India.
The mango is also associated with religion – Lord Buddha gave his first sermon while in a mango grove, where he spoke about dharma chakra, which was then interpreted by Emperor Ashoka and now graces the Indian national flag and emblem.
He also opined that in the past, in mango groves were considered the best example of infrastructure by kings. He spoke about wedding entourages staying in orchards, as well as many battles – right from the Battle of Plassey to the Battle of Panipat – which were fought in mango groves.
He explained that until recently, in North India, there was a concept of thandi sadak (cool road) which referred to highways lined with mango trees which gave dense shade.
He informed that studies have indicated that we are happy in our natural state as we are forest dwelling people, and a mango grove was the closest to being in a forest. Nowadays, sadly, these groves and highways are gradually disappearing from our landscape.
He explained that until recently, in North India, there was a concept of thandi sadak (cool road) which referred to highways lined with mango trees which gave dense shade.
THE FUTURE OF MANGOES
Asked how climate change would impact mango fruit in times to come, he stated that it impacts everything, and not just the mango tree.
“Mango flowers are very sensitive to temperature as they cross pollinate. Thus, a slight shift in physical conditions shifts the reproductive cycle. The varieties which are most impacted are Alphonso and Langda (both of which are premium varieties), and the least affected are Neelam and Totapuri (these flower every year unlike other varieties),” he shared.
When asked to name his favourite variety, Joshi read a paragraph from the book, which mentions that the best one is the one you steal as a child from a grove under the watchful eyes of the caretaker!