Mango Tourism at Lalbagh in Bangalore

" The choicest fruit of Hindustan, for garden's pride the mango is sought, Ere ripens other fruits to cut we ban, But mango serves us ripe or not."                    -Amir Khusrow

Mangoes, a fruit indigenous to India is a favorite among masses, with a production of over 20 million, India is the world’s largest producer of “The king of fruits”, the mango. Over 500 years ago when the Mughal emperor Babur first arrived in India, he constantly complained about the lack of Central Asian fruits such as melons and grapes, however by the time Akbar ascended the throne, he began promoting the cultivation of a variety of mangoes and grew over 1 lakh mango trees in present-day Bihar and a couple more years later, mangoes had become Shah-Jahan’s favorite fruit, mango drinks, and mango as a flavor had made a large presence even in the Mughal courts of India.

The major mango-growing states in India are Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka, one of India’s leading mango-producing states, produces an average of 12 lakh metric tonnes of mangoes annually. Naturally, Bangalore is one of the country’s leading hubs for India’s annual ” Mango Tourism “, a unique kind of agricultural/horticultural tourism in the country.

Every year, the horticultural department hosts an annual Mango Mela/Fair in various locations across Bangalore. The most popular mango fair is held at Lalbagh, where farmers set up an array of stalls and directly sell their produce to customers, customers generally get to select from over 30 varieties of mangoes such as Alphonso’s, Mallika, Badami, Kesar, and more. Apart from mango melas, Lalbagh also acts as hosts to Jackfruit, Watermelon, and Grape melas.

Location–

Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Timings–

Open from 8:00 AM-6:00PM during the months of May/June.