15-year-old mango tree with 121 varieties of fruit in UP turns into a tourist attraction

A single mango tree has 121 different mango kinds blooming on it. The 15-year-old mango tree in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur area, which is known for its mangoes, has become quite the attraction. The tree, which grows in the district's Company Bagh region, is the result of a five-year project by horticulturists to cultivate new kinds of mangoes and experiment with their taste. This unique experiment was carried out in Company Bagh about five years ago, said Bhanu Prakash Ram, Joint Director, Horticulture and Training Centre, Saharanpur.

A five-year project

Ram said, "The purpose of the experiment was to research new varieties of mangoes. Saharanpur is already a leading name in mango production. Mango horticulture is done extensively in the fruit belt of the district. Due to which research has also been done on new varieties of mango here."

Rajesh Prasad grafted 121 varieties of mango branches onto a single mango tree, said Ram. He added, "We are working on new species so that better varieties of mangoes can be produced. People can also use this technique."

A unique mango tree in UP

The tree used for the study was roughly ten years old, said Ram. He added, "Branches of different types of mangoes were planted on the branches of the native mango tree. After which a separate nursery in charge was appointed to take care of the tree. Now different types of mangoes are found on all the branches of this tree." Dussehri, Langra, Chaunsa, Ramkela, Amrapali, Saharanpur Arun, Saharanpur Varun, Saharanpur Saurabh, Saharanpur Gaurav, and Saharanpur Rajiv are among the mango types found on this tree.

Aside from these, the tree also has other mango types such as Lucknow Safeda, Tommy at King's, Pusa Surya, Sensation, Rataul, Kalmi Maldah Mango, Bombay, Smith, Mangifera Jalonia, Gola Bulandshahr, Laranku, LR Special, Alampur Benisha, and Asojia Deoband. Meanwhile, the 'Mango Man of India,' Haji Kalimullah Khan of Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, has cultivated over 300 species of mangoes on a single tree. In 2008, he received the Padma Shri award.

(with inputs from ANI)

Picture Credit: ANI