Kannapuram village in Kannur district, Kerala, home to several native mango varieties, has been hosting a mango festival for the last seven years. The eighth edition will be held on May 11 and 12 at the village, which was declared an Indigenous Mango Heritage Area in 2020.
The fete is organised by Nattumanchottil, a collective of mango lovers from the region. “Over the years we have seen the launch of several such initiatives across the State to protect and propagate indigenous mango varieties. We wanted to do something different this time. We will be focussing on characteristics of the mangoes instead of just showcasing them,” says Shyju Machathi, founder of Nattumanchottil.
Nearly 100 varieties from across the state will be showcased at the event which experts, scientists and mango conservators will attend. “The participants will get to understand more about each variety in detail; they get to see, smell, taste these mangoes and understand their benefits,” says Shyju.
He adds that the event will also feature the results of mango conservation efforts in other regions inspired by the activities of Nattumanchottil. “We started a project five years ago at Kalarkode in Alappuzha district where nearly 100 saplings were planted from scions (young shoots for grafting) collected from Kannapuram. This was done with the support of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Those plants have begun to bear fruits,” says Shyju. Suresh Kumar, who is heading the cultivation, and Joseph John, former principal scientist with ICAR-NBPGR, who led the project, will be honoured at the event.
This year’s highlight is the participation of native mango conservators from the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, as well as Kerala. “Among them is P Manohar Upadhya from Karnataka, a regular participant at our gatherings for the last three years. He cultivates 400 native varieties, including 40 from Kannapuram,” Shyju says.
Nattumanchottil has started Mampookkaalam, a project in Wayanad to identify the mango varieties suitable for the district’s climate and preserve the huge native mango trees along the Mananthavadi-Mysore route. This is being done in collaboration with the Thrisshileri Government Higher Secondary School students, in the district. Children who are part of the initiative will attend the fete.
Students of the Cooperative Arts and Science College at Madayi in Kannur, involved in the Little Mango Grove project, an initiative to grow mangoes and other fruit-bearing trees to create an ecosystem on 50 cents, and students of Sir Syed College, Taliparamba [in Kannur] who are involved in the research activities of Nattumanchottil will also attend the festival,” Shyju says.
The event begins on May 11 at 2pm. There will be sessions on conservation, classification and diversity of native mango varieties. On the second day, the members of Nattumanchottil will present a documentation of mango varieties.
As has been the practice, this year’s festival will also feature a grand feast featuring dishes made with mangoes. The participants will also be taken on a tour through and around Kannapuram to pick and eat mangoes. While Kannapuram alone has over 200 mango varieties, the number would cross 300 if the varieties seen in nearby villages such as Cherukunnu, Pattuvam, Kalyassery, Madayi and Pappinissery are included.
“Climate change has affected the production of mangoes, especially this year. However, we have managed to collect enough varieties for the event,” Shyju adds.
Entry for the event is by invite only. For details, contact 9496787872
