The 'Gir Kesar' mango, also called Kesar, is a

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

cultivar grown in the foothills of

Girnar Girnar is an ancient hill in Junagadh, Gujarat, India. It is one of the holiest pilgrimages of Jains, where the 22nd Tirthankara, Tirthaṅkar, Lord Neminath attained omniscience, and later nirvana at its highest peak (''Neminath Shikhar''), ...

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

, western

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. The mango is known for its bright orange colored pulp and was given the

geographical indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town or region). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, is inten ...

status in 2011. The biggest market of Gir Kesar is in Talala Gir (45 km from Gir national park) known as a Mango Market Yard (Plus code : 3GFV+9P Borvav, Gujarat).

History

The mango was grown in 1931 by Junagadh Wazir Salé Bhai in Mangrol Junagadh. About 75 grafts were then planted in the foothills of Girnar at the Junagadh Laal Dori farm. The mango is said to have been known as "Kesar" since 1934 when the Nawab of Junagadh

Muhammad Mahabat Khan III Sir Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji, (2 August 1898 – 17 November 1959) was the last ruling Nawab of Junagadh of the princely state of Junagadh in India from 1911 to 1948. He was the father of Muhammad Dilawar Khanji – former Go ...

said "This is Kesar" looking at the orange pulp of the fruit—''kesar'' being Gujrati/

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

for

saffron Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of '' Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent ...

Production

The Kesar mango is grown in an approximate area of 20,000 hectare in the districts of

Junagadh Junagadh () is the city and headquarters of Junagadh district in the Indian state of Gujarat. Located at the foot of the Girnar hills, southwest of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar (the state capital), it is the seventh largest city in the state. It i ...

and

Amreli Amreli is a city and a municipality in Amreli district in Indian state of Gujarat. History It is believed that during 534 AD Amreli existed was formerly known as Anumanji, Amlik and then Amravati. The city is named in ancient Gujrati as ''Amar ...

in the Saurashtra region of

, with an estimated annual production of two

lakh A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2, 2, 3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. F ...

tonnes. However, only the mango grown around the Gir sanctuary area is officially known as "Gir Kesar mango". This variety of mango is usually produced to the market in April-May and should be harvested at green mature stage, with the cultivation beginning around October after the monsoon season. Kesar variety is among the most expensive varieties of the fruit. Kesar mangoes are considered a rich source of various Vitamins, including A, C, E, and B6. These vitamins are essential for your overall well-being. Together, they support a strong immune system and also promote healthy skin. The combination of these vitamins helps in the absorption of other essential vitamins and minerals in the body. According to GirKesar.

Geographical indication

Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation (GAIC) Ltd proposed the geographical indication (GI) registration of Gir Kesar mango. After the Junagadh Agricultural University filed the application in 2010, the fruit was granted the GI tag in 2011 by the Geographical Indication Registry in

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

, making the name "Gir Kesar" exclusive to the mangoes grown in the region. It thus became the first agricultural product from Gujarat and the second mango variety in India (after

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

Dasheri The Dasheri mango is a mango cultivar which originated in a village near Malihabad in Lucknow district in 18th century. It is a sweet and fragrant variety of mango grown in North India, the southern state Andhra Pradesh, Nepal, and Pakistan ...

mango) to earn the GI tag.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gir Kesar (Mango) Mango cultivars Economy of Gujarat GI-Tagged Mangoes of India Agriculture in Gujarat Geographical indications in Gujarat

History

Production

Geographical indication

See also

References