Fun, feast and a festival of mangoes

CHENNAI: The mention of our mambazham or mango can be traced back to the Sangam period. The fruit has significance in our Hindu mythology. Besides its rich history, almost everybody loves it and has a memory associated with it. Wouldn’t it be fun to recollect and cherish them when they bless us with their magical appearance during this season,” begins Muhilann Murugan, who has curated a day-long event called Mango Thiruvizha for the DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum, in association with Hanu Reddy Mango Tourism. All in a humble attempt to celebrate the king of fruits with games, folk performances, talks, theatre, delicious food, storytelling, panel discussions, and much more. 

The day-long affair is only a prelude to The Great Mango Festival to be held at Hanu Reddy Raghava Farms. “I drew inspiration from Nirupama Reddy of Hanu Reddy Residences and her commendable effort at giving Chennaiites a farm experience while shedding light on the local varieties of mangoes. She was kind enough to help me come up with a workable plan. Our event will be exploring the cultural aspects of the fruit,” he says. 

The programmes will begin with an inaugural talk by K Priya, joint commissioner - land administration; Mango trails – Memories and Stories – by historian Meenakshi Devaraj in conversation with Muhilann; Kathaiyum Samayalum – a live cooking demonstration – by food designer Akash Muralidharan; a specially-crafted lunch and mango eating competition by Hanu Reddy Mango Tourism; Kadhai Sollata – a storytelling session – by Srividya Veeraraghavan, Villupaatu – a folk performance – by Thinai Nila Vaasigal; and an open mic by Thiruvizha Chennai. 

The highlight will be the elaborate spread comprising non-vegetarian and vegetarian-delicacies prepared using mango. “It’s going to be a feast of mangoes. You can expect mango panakam, mango chilli paneer, raw mango fish curry, mavadika chicken, mango shrikhand, and more. All these mangoes come from Hanu Reddy farms. There will be an assortment of stalls featuring mango-based goodies. What better time than summer to speak about mangoes?” says an excited Muhilann. 

Giving a glimpse of  The Great Mango Festival, Nirupama narrates, “Our aim is to provide exposure to domestic mango varieties and enrich the participants with a farm experience at the same time. The family-friendly fun begins the moment you enter the farm, all dripping in mango goodness. With Hanu Reddy Mango Tourism, we hope to give back to the farming community, and bridge the gap between the farmer and the market by putting this glorious fruit on the map.” 

The lunch for adults (per head) is priced at Rs 500. Mango Thiruvizha 2022 will be held at DakshinaChitra on June 5 from 10.30 am to 7 pm. The Great Mango Festival 2022 will be held on June 11 & 12, and 18 & 19 from 6 am to 12 pm at Hanu Reddy Raghava Farms, Othivakkam. For details, call: 8220835682

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