By Riya Pradhan
There can be no doubt about the fact that the summers of India would be incomplete without mangoes. This golden, sweet fruit has been a part of the emotional fabric of the nation. From the first sparkling mango flower to the ripe luscious fruit cradled in the arms of a grandmother, mangoes evoke the universal feeling of nostalgia. They are eagerly awaited every season by children and the elderly alike– children brim with excitement at their arrival, while the elderly recollect faraway orchards and ancient family stories. In households throughout the subcontinent, aunts and grandmothers fondly recall their own childhood afternoons under mango trees, associating the fruit with security, success and tradition. The mango is also popularly referred to as the "king of fruits," and it is India's most loved fruit, favorite of both the royalty and commoners it is cherished in legend, poetry and cuisine. In India's memory, a mango is more than a fruit: it is a symbol that evokes the sweetness of home and the richness of tradition.
Archaeological and historical origins
The mango culture in India is ancient in practice, indicative of its deep cultural significance. Experts concur that mango is native to India and has been cultivated for thousands of years in the subcontinent. Both botanical and archaeological evidence indicate that the Indo-Burmese region is the geographic origin of the mango, and that
it was domesticated early in the Indian subcontinent. Of particular interest is the mention of mangoes in some of the oldest Indian texts, and travel literature. Buddhist pilgrims and Chinese monks such as Xuanzang (7th century CE) mentioned seeing mango trees on the banks of the Ganges River, and early Sanskrit literature and oral tradition speak of mangoes as symbols of prosperity.
Contemporary archaeo-botany has accessed mango residues dating back thousands of years in the subcontinent. The evidence suggests Indian farmers were farming tree crops such as mango and jackfruit in regions such as the Ganges Plains and southern India during the latter half of the 2nd millennium BCE. Sedimentary record of mango pollen and seeds in proximity to ancient city sites, for instance, presents late Bronze Age cultivation.
Local emperors and princes down the centuries further popularized growing mangoes – Akbar, for example, established a 100,000 choice mango tree plantation in Darbhanga of Bihar (the "Laakhibagh" garden). Emperor Jahangir was very much an admirer of mangoes and announced that no Central Asian fruits of his homeland could match the Indian mango. He is famous for praising its taste and aroma and announcing that it was unmatched among nature's gifts. India alone now produces over a thousand named mango varieties, living proof of that ancient heritage.
Mangoes in Art
Mangoes have been a very significant element in classical Indian art, especially in Awadhi paintings. The paintings were commissioned with the support of Nawabs and local wealthy people, and they showed peaceful scenes of courtly life, gardens, and the beautiful countryside. Mango trees full of ripe mangoes were typically used. They represented abundance, love, and the strong relationship between individuals and seasons. Artists showed the green groves where wealthy men and women lay under mango leaves, listening to music, poems, and the delights of the rainy season.The fruit was not just used for decoration—it was extremely symbolic and imbued with great cultural and emotional significance, appearing frequently in landscapes of love, longing, and memory, particularly in miniature works that depicted Awadhi poetry and literature.
Mughal art included mangoes in its many plant catalogs, like the Baburnama and in some imperial gardens featured in Persian-style painting. The uses, however, were more restrained and formal. During the Akbar and Jahangir periods, the Mughals illustrated mangoes in elaborate ways, but they were more imperial pursuits than emotional symbols. In the heterogeneous culture and freedom of art in the state of Awadh, mangoes were not just an appearance but an element of stories—embedded in the court's everyday imagination.
Mirza Ghalib and mangoes
India's own romance with mango cannot be narrated without mentioning Mirza Ghalib, the great 19th-century Urdu-Persian poet. Ghalib was famously in love with mangoes as symbols of love and of art. His surviving letters and poetry—indeed, some of the first accounts of modern Urdu prose—are full of passionate references to various mangoes and their unique tastes. One of the words he used to define the mango was "Ilāhī Nāmeṅkhā" (God-sent), which reflected the divine attributes that he ascribed to the fruit.
Biographers observe that when he was around sixty years old, Ghalib humorously announced that he could no longer consume "more than ten or twelve [mangoes] at a sitting… and if they are big ones, then a mere six or seven. Alas, the days of youth have come to an end, indeed, the days of life itself have come to an end." These
complaints at aging and at the enjoyment of mangoes emphasize his previously insatiable appetite.
Stories of his mango escapades entered folklore. One of them informs us of Ghalib accompanying the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, to the imperial garden known as Bagh-e-Hayat Baksh in Delhi. Ghalib pointed out mangoes meant for nobles and humorously recited a couplet that each mango had the name of a nobleman inscribed on it. The emperor understood the joke and allowed Ghalib to select a whole box of them. In another story, a physician measuring Ghalib's passion against a donkey's apathy discovered that Ghalib humorously concurred by stating, "even donkeys don't eat mangoes," thereby suggesting that mangoes are too holy for coarse beasts. Briefly, Ghalib's mango letters are renowned for reconciling high art with rustic pleasure. His status as India's finest mango aficionado is confirmed through innumerable quotations and the very names of mango cultivars (e.g., Imam Pasand, also Humayun Pasand, said to have been Emperor Humayun's favorite, indirectly linking Ghalib and Mughal nobility with mango tradition). Ghalib taught India on how to appreciate the mango not merely through the senses but through language as well, thereby making his own fixation part of the fruit's lasting folklore.
Underrated mango varities
India has lesser-known mango varieties apart from the popular Alphonso, Dasheri, and Kesar, each with its own beauty. Three local treasures should be mentioned.
Kohitoor (West Bengal): Developed in Murshidabad, the Kohitoor is a royal treasure. Its name comes from a legendary diamond, testifying to its aristocratic origins. It was grown in the 18th century by a horticulturist to a Nawab in order to satisfy Nawab Siraj-ud-Daulah's craving for exotic fruit.Kohitoor mangoes are much prized for their sweet, rich flavor. They are big, thin-skinned, pale golden-yellow when ripe. But they are scarce because they are cultivated in small numbers in a few orchards. Their soft flesh is easily damaged, and the short season ensures that most people outside Bengal don't have the chance to enjoy this "lost treasure." Kohitoor,
Noor Jahan (Madhya Pradesh): This mango is so named after the Mughal empress and is cultivated by traditional farmers in Katni, Madhya Pradesh, and weighs up to 2.5–3.5 kg.The flesh is fibrous but very sweet and scented. This variety is reputed to have originated in Afghanistan and been imported into India, local tradition says.
Imam Pasand (South India): Originating in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana and also cultivated in Tamil Nadu, it was so named by Mughal Emperor Humayun, who enjoyed it. This variety is celebrated for its strongly sweet flavor and exotic citrus- floral aftertaste, with a luscious, creamy texture. Like Kohitoor and Noor Jahan, it's not heavily commercialized.
These types demonstrate that India's mango diversity extends beyond a handful of noted names. Each excels in its territory based on history. Their scarcity results from limited geography, delicate flesh, or eclipsing by more renowned types.
Aamras Preparation
India savors mango sweetness in the form of aamras, a chilled mango purée traditionally served with hot piping puris. Its preparation combines art and Ayurvedic know-how. Ripest mangoes, such as Alphonso, are first washed and soaked or gently massaged. The mango is then peeled, and the flesh squeezed and mashed by hand or grated. The process yields a thick, pulpy texture, typical of homemade aamras. The objective is dense puree with fiber, and not a liquid. Prepared, it's seasoned with salt to heighten sweetness and blended with traditional flavorings. A touch of suntha brings warmth, and ghee is usually drizzled over it.
These foods have a function other than taste. Mango pulp, being sweet and 'heaty' (pitta-exciting) in Ayurveda, is consumed cold. Ghee cools and neutralizes the mango's heat and is soothing to the stomach in moderation. Ghee gives texture and room for uptake of fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin A in mango. Ginger powder aids digestion and balances sweetness, and others add ground cardamom or lime juice for fragrance. It forms a creamy bowl of mango pulp, sweet but spiced. Aamras is chilled with warm puris or rotis, and hence an excellent summer food. Every step is a reflection of our cultural connection with the fruit: hand-squeezing retains its essence;
ginger and ghee retain Ayurvedic tradition; and consumption with bread retains community. In most households, preparing aamras is a collective labor of love, a reflection of the way mango brings art, health, and happiness to the table. Every bite retains sun's warmth and ghee's coolness, a reflection of the cultural mix mango embodies in Indian food and life.
India's devotion to mangoes is timeless. From its humble origins in the Indian forests to its place in royal art and loved family recipes, the mango is a large part of our heritage. When summer comes, the mango's arrival fills us with excitement and brings in traditions and memories.
Grandmothers still remember running after kids behind mango trees, and individuals today are looking for old varieties of mangoes. India's love for mangoes is not waning. The fruit still inspires art, literature, and science, with fresh studies on its genes and varieties. In every bite and every memory—whether a king's orchard, a painting of princes beneath a tree, or the sweetness of aamras—we experience the rich past of India. Therefore, the king of fruits does not only rule our gardens and plates, but our hearts as well: India's deep love for mangoes is eternal.
References
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Yadav, D. & Singh, S.P. (2017) ‘Mango: History, origin and distribution’, Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 6(6), pp.1257–1262.
Patel, M. (2024) ‘A fruit fit for emperors: The history of mangoes in India’, The Indian Express, 30 July 2024.
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