Mango Festival 2020: Log onto social media to get a slice of the king of fruits

In it’s 32nd edition, the popular festival of Dilli Haat will be held online; with trivia, quizzes, and throwback videos being uploaded on social media platforms.

Mango – name it and the king of fruits brings memories of one of the most-loved festivals of Delhi, that is, Mango Festival. For those who have been to this annual affair, at Dilli Haat INA or Janak Puri, know that for more than three decades it has been a crowd-puller. But this time around, due to Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers have decided to take the fun-filled celebrations online.

The mango eating competition has been a hit at the annual Mango Festival at Dilli Haat.

“While people will miss the thrill and sheer joy of the mango eating competition, ‘Sau hai daam, jitne khao aam’, we have decided to prioritise the safety of the visitors and mango growers; who have brought hundreds of varieties from across the nation,” says Manoj Kumar, manager, PR & Publicity, Delhi Tourism, adding that the festival is “going virtual” in its 32nd edition.

It was a common sight to see almost 500 varieties of mangoes at this event every year. Devyn Kumar, a budding chef, says, “Sharing mangoes at the dinner table has been a vivid part of my childhood nostalgia. The event has been something we shared as a family for the last six years. My father was looking forward to the festival this time, and the quirky names that sellers give to their mangoes. But we’ll make do with the virtual event.”

Mango lovers, who would earlier make a beeline for the cultural event, are tad disappointed with the festival going virtual. Take for instance a Noida-based student Purnima Verma, who loved participating in the various contests at the festival. “I come from a family of mango lovers! I remember memorising trivia for the contest where my friends and I would participate and try to outdo each other. We used to make a day out of it, taste as many varieties of mangoes as we could gorge on. It’s sad that the event has been called off this year. However, in the current scenario it is only logical to avoid crowded gatherings,” says Verma.

So until next year, keep an eye for mangoes such as Modi aam or Virat aam, which had not just unique names – in the previous years of the festival – but even delicious taste to leave you wanting for more!

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