Watch: Malihabad and its affair with Dasheri mango

The story of the Dasheri mango and its origins from the town of Malihabad, in Uttar Pradesh

Every summer, homes and markets across the country welcome India’s most adored fruit, mango. Often dubbed as the King of Fruits, the fruit has ruled the Indian palette for over 4000 years from the valleys of Sindhu to the modern republic of India. Named National Fruit of India in 1950, the country accounts for 44% of mango’s global production.

If mango is the King of Fruits, then Malihabad is definitely its royal capital. Laced with the aroma of, in Amir Khusrow’s words, the fairest fruit of Hindustan, Malihabad is one of the biggest mango-producing hubs of India.

The first recorded plantation of mangoes in the town was done by the Afghan Pathan Generals of Haider Shah, the First King of Awadh around 200 years ago.

While the town today grows around 700 varieties of mangoes, the most sought-after is Dasheri, called the King of Mangoes. The story of the Dasheri mango begins in the gardens of the Nawab of Lucknow in the 18th century. Since then, farmers across India have been dedicated to cultivating this exquisite variety.

The heart of this legacy lies in the village of Dasheri, perched between Malihabad and Lucknow, in Uttar Pradesh. Here, the original mother plant, believed to be nearly 200 years old, still thrives.

This tree grew in the grove of Mohammad Ansar Zaidi and bears fruit once every two years. His descendants have taken on the responsibility of maintaining this revered tree. Known as the ‘Mother Dasheri.’ With varieties like Dassehri, Chausa, Langda and Safeda, Malihabad along with Uttar Pradesh accounted for nearly 23.5% of mango production in India.

Padma Shri Haji Kalimullah Khan, also known as the Mango man of India, hailed Haji Kalimullah Khan images from Malihabad and is credited with the popularisation of Malihabad’s mango industry with his feat of growing 300 mangoes on a single tree.