The mango tree is considered sacred both by the Hindus and the Buddhists. Hindus attach great religious significance to this plant, and consider the plant as a transformation of the lord of Creatures, Prajapati, who later beacme the Lord of Procreation or the 'Lord of all creation'

Mango (Mangifera indica) - Part 1, Religious literature and history  

Did you know that Mango produced by the tropical Mangifera indica tree is the national fruit of India which is known as “the King of frutis”?

Mangifera indica tree produces Mango, the fruit of Indian subcontinent which is called the “the King of frutis”, and is among the most important tropical fruits of the world. Its mention has been made in Sanskrit literature as “Amra” from Vedic times, and has been cultivated in India since 2000 BC or even earlier. It is the national fruit of India. This flowering plant species belongs to the family Anacardiaceace under the order Spaindales, also botanically known as 'drupe'. The Indian mango, Mangifera indica, is the descendant of a wild tree still found in NE India.

Mango in English is known in Indian vernacular languages as: Amra, Amravrikshaha, Madhavadruma bhringabhishta, Kokilavasa in sanskrit; aam in Hindi and Urdu; Aambo in Gujarath; Maavina mara, Maavu in Kannada; Amram, Mavu, Gomanna in Malayalam; Aamba, Am, Ambo in Marathi; Maamaram, Manga-maram, Mankai in Tamil; Maamidi, Mamidi-chettu in Telugu. The English word mango (plural "mangoes" or "mangos") originated from the Portuguese word, manga, from the Malay mangga, probably ultimately from the Tamil man ("mango tree") + kay ("fruit"). 

The mango tree is considered sacred both by the Hindus and the Buddhists. Hindus attach great religious significance to this plant, and consider the plant as a transformation of the lord of Creatures, Prajapati, who later beacme the Lord of Procreation or the 'Lord of all creation'. Therefore, on all religious and sacred days, Hindus use its twigs as tooth brushes and its leaves as spoons for pouring libations during yagna sacrifices. Villagers believe in India that the mango tree puts forth fresh green leaves at the birth of a son. So a tradtion is being perpetuated and mango leaves are festooned across the doorways of a house where a son is born. The plant being considered auspiciuos, its leaves are also hung over the doorways of a house where marriage ceremonies are performed, perhaphs in the hope that the young married couple would beget a son. Symbolically, the leaves represent Goddess Lakshmi, good fortune, life. love, and fertility.

The flowers of Mangifera indica are dedicated to the Moon during the Magha month (January/February in the Gregorian calendar) In India's national civil calendar. There are some famous temples in some of the Indian state, such as in the Ekambareshwara temple at Kanchipuram, where legend states that Shiva appeared as Linga, under a mango tree.

In an interesting legend of Vedic times, it is said that Surya Bai, daughter of the Sun god, became a golden lotus in order to escape the persecutions of an evil sorceress. Then the king of the land fell in love with this lotus. The sorceress cindered the lotus to ashes, However, from its ashes sprang a mango tree, and the flower and the fruits both enamoured the King and won his love. When the ripe fruits fell to the ground, Surya Bai emerged from it and was recognised by the King as his long-lost wife.

In Sanskrit literature in 'Abhigyan Shakuntalam' of Indian poet Kalidasa, sage Kanva, Shakuntala's foster father, approving his daugher's choice of Dushyanata as her husband says: 

"My child, you found the lover who 

Had long been sought by me; 

No longer need I watch you; I will give the vine a lover true; 

This handsome mango tree." 

Further, when Shakuntala was brought to the palace of Dushyanta it is poetically stated that a song was heard behind the scene, which said: 

"You who kissed the mango flower, 

Honey-loving bee; 

Gave her all your passion';s flower, 

Ah! so tenderly."

As a Hindu anology in the above two poetic stanzas, the poet Kalidasa juxtasposed images of the mango tree, representing Dushyanta over the vine plant to frail Shakuntala to the God-human soul relationship. 

Historically, mango cultivation has been an integral part of history and indigenous culture of the Indian subcontinent. It was recorded in India when Alexander the Great found a mango garden in Indus valley in 327 B.C. The Chinese traveller Huang Tsuang visited India in the first century AD, after which cultivation of mango spread eastwards. He used the name 'an-mo-lo', a phoneticization of the Sanskrit word Amra. Other names for the fruits in most European languages derived from the original Tamil "man-key or man-gay". By the 10th century AD cultivation of Mango Indica had spread as afar west as Persia where it stopped. Amīr Khusrau was an Indo-Persian saint and poet who wrote a poem on Mango as early as 1338 AD. By that time Mango had become a status symbol in India. Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) planted one lakh mango trees in his garden (bagh) in Darbhanga in Bihar, which was called "Lakh Bagh" meaning 100, 000 trees garden. For a long time the cultivation of mango orchards in India was the prerogative of Maharajas and Nawabs. 

From South India, mango was spread by the Portuguese, who took it from their colony in Goa to Africa in the 16th century. It reached Brazil and West Indies in the 18th century and also Hawai, Florida and Mexico in the 19th century. However, India has remained the largest exporter of mangoes and also has very high domestic consumption. The tree, an enormous handsome evergreen, does not grow true from seed but is propagated vegetatively through a technique developed in the 16th century.

The mango motif in Indian textiles is the mango theme which recurs in ancient Sanskrit literature. This motif appeared for the first time perhaps in the 100 B.C., as in the sculptures of Bharhut and again in the famous Ajanta frescoes. 

It may be noted that mangoes, from their center of origin, deviated into two genetically distinct populations namely the subtropical Indian group of Mangifera indica and the tropical Southeast Asian group. The Indian group is characterized by having monoembryonic fruits, while the Southeast Asian group is characterized by polyembryonic fruits.

Thus, Mangoes which originated from the region between northeastern India and northwestern Myanmar and Bangladesh, are now cultivated in most frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates of the world. In 2021, world production of mangoes was 54.83 million tonnes, led by India with 20.9 million metric tons of the total. 

Note: To be continued in the next blog titled "Mango (Mangifera indica) - Part II, Botanical and plantation information"

- Narasipur Char 

Mango fruit, a product of Mangifera indica tree, the national fruit of India, indisputably supreme known both as King of Frutis and Queen of Fruits, at its best its scent has pleasant resinous quality

Mango (Mangifera indica) - Part II, Botanical and plantation information

Did you know that Mango fruit, a product of Mangifera indica tree, the national fruit of India, indisputably supreme known both as King of Frutis and Queen of Fruits, at its best its scent has pleasant resinous quality; at worst it smells strongly of kerosene which it actually contains?

Mango (plural: Mangoes), with the Indian subcontinent species known by the botanical name Mangifera indica is popular in terms of its nutritional, medicinal, religious and spiritual significance. There are as many as 1365 varieties of mangoes all over the world of which 1000 are said to be in India alone. Its richness in variety is usually accompanied by delicious taste and excellent flavour.

Mangifera Indica, commonly called as mango, is a flowering plant species belonging to the family Anacardiaceace and native to Indian subcontinent. Known in Sanskrit as 'Amra', and as a climacteric fruit it is also classified as a 'drupe', featuring an edible, juicy mesocarp. The crop originated in South East Asia of Indo-Burma region, having 41 recognised species of mango originating as forest trees with fibrous and resinous fruits. Mango is widely culitvated in most of the estates of India in many hundreds of named mango cultivars. The tree has a deep, tap-root system. It thrives only in regions where there are clearly defined seasons.

Different categories of mangoes are extraploated with respect to appearances and degrees of ripening to the following types of human souls; those that are not ripe but appear ripe; those ripe but appear not ripe, those ripe and appear ripe, and all showing a likeness to the adept and the realised souls. It is mentioned in the Hindu scriptures such as Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas. There is also superstition related to mangoes which says that a long iron nail, is hammered through a mango into the foundations of a building to protect the structure from harm.

The mango trees can grow to 10-45 m height and are topped with a rounded canopy (10-15 m radius). This tree of enormous size is handsome evergreen and does grow not only from seed but alaso propagated vegetatively through a technique developed in the 16th century. The trees are long-lived, as some specimens still bear fruit after 300 years.

Studies in different regions of the world indicate that the panicles of mango tree vary in their shape, size and numbers of branches and flowers. Mango inflorescence is terminal with frequent emergence of the multiple axillray panicles. Both perfect and hermaphrodite flowers occur on the same panicle. The panicle shape may be conical, pyramidal or irregular. but most are conical in shape and between 14 and 21 cm long. In the most expensive variety of Mangoes, the Alphonso variety of Karnataka and Maharashtra grown under their coastal zones, the length of the pancile ranged from 12.4 to 38.6 cm and the number of male flowers panicle was maximum. Mango tree also contains the essential oil isolated from its leaves and fruit peels. 

Mango crop has a complex physiological process. In this process pollen contacts the stigmatic surface, migrates down the style and a series of steps lead to the fusing of the generative cell, with the ovule within the ovary. Initial fruit set after self-pollination was reported to be almost negligible in Indian mango cultivars, such as Dassehari, Langra, Chausa and Bombay Green. Low fruit set, as a result of self-pollination is reported for Amrapali and Mallika varieties. Globally, self-pollination and cross-pollination mechanism are reported. The most expenive cultivar of India is Alphonso due to its soft, pulpy, juicy texture similar to an overripe plum. It is also largely exported. Mangoes ripen satisfactorily if picked before they are fully ripe so that they can be exported fresh. 

Mango fruits vary in size from 5 cm (2 inches) to over 25 cm (10 inches ), and in weight vary from from under 100g to over 2 kg . Some kinds are almost round, others long and narrow but they generally have a slight ridge one one side. The skin may be yellow or orange with flesh. or else greenish yellow through to rich golden yellow; there is usually a color change in the fruit as it ripens. It also tends to soften and sweeten as it gets riper. The large stone of the fruit is covered with fibres which are small and short in good varieties but thick and extending right through the pulp in bad ones. A young tree will bear fruit after four years. They also put milk and treacle syrup around the tree which makes the fruit sweeter.

A raw mango is 84% water, 15% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and has negligible fat. Mangoes are low-calorie, low-fat and contain a high concentration of phytochemical compounds in its peel and pulp, such as the triterpene, lupeol. Phytochemical and nutrient content appears to vary across mango cultivars. Mangoes are dense with a number of vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin A and B vitamins such as vitamin B-2, folate and vitamin B-6. Studies indicate that a 165-g cup of raw mango provides: Vitamin C 67%; Vitamin A 10 %, Folate 18%; Vitamin B6 12%; and Potassium 6%. 

Mangoes, rich in dietary fiber, have a range of possible health benefits that can help protect and strengthen the body. It is used for calming the stomach, treating digestive problems and treating hair los. It is salso used in treatment of Angina, Asthma, Cough, Diabetes, Dental problems, Skin irritations, Stubborn colds, Obstinate diarrhoea, Bleeding piles, Dysentery, Scorpion stings.

Mangoes are used in many cuisines. Sour, unripe mangoes are used in pickles, chutneys, daals and other side dishes. Aam panna made with mangoes is a popular summer drink in North India. Aamras is a popular thick juice made of mangoes with sugar or milk, and is popular in Western India where it is consumed with chapatis or pooris. Avakaaya pickle, made from raw, unripe, pulpy, and sour mango, mixed with chili powder, fenugreek seeds, mustard powder, salt, and groundnut oil, is popular in South India. Instant Mango Pickle made with small chopped or cut piece and is my favourite.

Itvtakes just about 15 minutes and uses raw unripe chopped mangoes, mustard seeds, curry leaves and some spice powder.

- Narasipur Char