Virupakshi Hill Banana is a type of

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus '' Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called plantains, distinguishing the ...

grown in the Virupakshi region in the

Palani Hills The Palani Hills are a mountain range in the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Palani Hills are an eastward extension of the Western Ghats ranges, which run parallel to the west coast of India. The Palani Hills adjoin with t ...

of Western Ghats in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

. It was declared as a

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 ...

in 2008–09.

Description

The

is cultivated at higher altitudes along the

in the Western Ghats. It is often grown as a rain-fed crop grown during the

South-west monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscill ...

season. In the 1990s, cultivation areas were reduced by more than 90% as the crop was severely affected by

Banana bunchy top virus Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is a plant pathogenic virus of the family '' Nanoviridae'' known for infecting banana plants and other crops. It is aphid transmitted. Definition Banana bunchy top is a viral disease caused by a single-stranded ...

. With various steps taken to alleviate the same, cultivation has expanded in the past decade. Each tree bears a bunch of 70-100 fruits, which are first harvested after 18 months. The fruits are yellowish-green in color and is known for its unique smell and sweetness. The ripe fruits are firm with a thicker peel. The fruit is one of the five ingredients used in the

Palani Panchamirtham Palani Panchamirtham is a type of panchamrita, an Indian sweet, and Prasadam of the Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple in Palani in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was declared as a Geographical indication in 2019-20 and was the first temple prasada ...

, a unique

panchamrita Panchamrita (, ) is a mixture of five foods used in Hindu as well as Jain worship and puja and Abhiṣeka It is often used as an offering during pooja post which it is distributed as prasad. The main ingredients typically include honey (म� ...

, made at the

Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Murugan situated atop a hillock amidst the Palani Hills in Palani, Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan. The temple is managed by the Hindu Religious ...

Palani Palani or Pazhani () is a town in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu state in India. It is located about west of Dindigul, south-east of Coimbatore, north-west of Madurai, from Kodaikanal. The Palani Murugan Temple or Arulmigu Dhandayut ...

References

{{Kongu Nadu Agriculture in Tamil Nadu Bananas Banana cultivars GI Tagged banana varieties of India Geographical indications in Tamil Nadu Kongu Nadu Dindigul district