NEW DELHI,30.06.17-Delhi’s Mango Festival, 29^th edition, organised by Delhi Tourism & Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) began today in the capital at Dilli Haat, Janakpuri.  The festival was inaugurated by Sh. Rajendra Pal Gautam, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Govt. of Delhi, in the presence of SH. S. P. Singh, M.D. & CEO, DTTDC and Dr. Pooja Joshi, General Manager, DTTDC, besides other senior functionaries of the govt.

The Mango Festival has evolved a lot, since its first edition. From the orchards of Saharanpur, where the first fest was organised, the annual event was shifted to Talkatora Indoor Stadium in 1991, and then, in 2010, to Dilli Haat, Pitampura, following now, at Dilli Haat, Janakpuri.

Mango is referred to, in Sanskrit literature, as “Amra” and has been under cultivation by man for over 4000 years. This indigenous fruit occupied an important place in horticulture during the rule of the Mughal emperors in India. It has been observed that the great king Akbar during 1556-1605 planted an orchard of 100,000 mango trees at his royal vicinity. The knowledge of vegetative preparation of mango gained in the 16^th century, which however made it possible to produce mango over a large scale with the help of many cultivators. Mango cultivation is found in many countries of Southeast Asia i.e. Philippines, Indonesia, Java, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

India is the largest exporter of mangoes with an exporting quantity of over 50,000 tonnes (Source: APEDA) and while there are more than 1365 varieties of mangoes grown all over the world, India has its fair share of 1000 diverse kinds of mangoes. If you wish to have a look at a Mango, which is as small as a grape or as big as a papaya, the Mango Festival is the place to be at.

 The event saw a number of attractions with the most viewed being, the Mango exhibition, which showcased over 500 assortments from all across the country. Traditional, rare and hybrid kinds such as Fajri, Husn-E-Ara, Jannat, Jonariya, Temuriya, Moosabala, Sadaphal, Makhkhan, Litchi, Haathijhool, Begum Pasand, Toffee Mango, Choosta, Yogi, Shareefa  and many more, attracted a huge crowd.

The characteristic event ”100 hai daam, jitne bhi khao aam” enthralled people of all ages. After savouring the enticing flavours of different kinds of mangoes, people enjoyed themselves at the Gear VR zone. While the tech savvy activities wooed their own share of audience, nukkad natak and international magic act by Gaurav Dubey involved people of all ages in their interactive performances.

Events to look forward on Saturday, 1^st July 2017: