Mango - 'Make-a-Wish' Tree

Summer in India heralds the season of the Delicious n Juicy Fruits like Aam / Mangoes, along with the Litchi / Lychee, Tarboj / Watermelons n Kharbooja / Mashmelons.

Soak the Mangoes in water to reduce n wash off  Pitta (heat)

While I like them all, my personal fav among them, is most definitely the delightful Mango, referred to as the ‘King of Fruits’ n also ‘the Nectar of the Gods’. You can savour the ripe mangoes fresh from the trees or make pickles or chutneys or moraba (jam) from the unripe ones or quench your thirst with chilled summer drinks like Aam panna or refreshing Mango Shake or even Punjabi Mango laasi or merely devour them as katha-meetha aam papad or sweet mango kheer for desert.

While I have been praising this stately fruit, let me not forget the MANGO TREE, which happens to be one of the most majestic trees here in India - what with their tall n thick trunk, dense foliage, with wide spreading branches forming  a Magnificent Umbrella Canopy.

Four Mango-laden  Trees growing in our side yard, form a near perfect Umbrella Canopy together.....

What I really like about these trees is that they form one large single unit together, while, up close they are four different trees. We need to learn something from them.... they don't jostle for space, they each seem happy and contend growing  harmoniously together.

Helpers collecting n picking mangoes, hand plucked by the gardener high up on the branches.
Can you spot the gardener precariously perched between the dark n dense foliage above (right) ????

Basket n Baskets full of Dusheri Mangoes is ready to be savoured.

 We have some 8-10 mango trees growing in our yard here in the city n another sprawling 45 acres of Mango grove in Nawabgunj countryside, about 150 Kms from here, specializing in the Rose tinted Gulab khas, Green Dusheri, Yellow Zardalu, Langra, Chausa, Safeeda varieties of mangoes n other lesser known varieties - Makhan, Fakira, maste-anar, katha-meetha, dil-pasand, kishen-bhog, shakul.

Our Mango grove @ Nawabgunj countryside - old trees interspersed with some recent plantations.

Some More Mango Trees...

The mango grove initially belonged to the last ruling Nawab of Oudh, Nawab Nawajid Ali n his family and was established way back in 1906. It is believed that about 1000 saplings of the rose flavoured ‘Gulab khas’ variety, came all the way from Afghanistan. These trees are a little over 100 yrs old.

The Rose Flavoured Mangoes  i.e. 'Gulab Khas' originally from Afghanistan
Its a highly delicate variety, as the mangoes tend to spoil even if pressed gently n have to be handled with utmost care.

After independence, Rani Rehula Shakuntala, is known to have bought 215 bigha’s of Mango grove from the Nawab. After the Indo-Pak partition, the Rani permanently shifted base to Pakistan, selling this property to my grandfather, in 1960’s. As a little kid, I used to be fascinated with this bit of history n other tell-tales associated with Nawabgunj. In retrospect, I have come to appreciate the bounty and marvel of Nature,  trees, flowers, fruits, plants, art of bonsai, the whole gamut of beautiful  greens around us.

Here’s another interesting tale about Mango Tree’s from ‘The Book of Nature’ by Ruskin Bond.

Mango Blossoms...

In the Folklore of India, the Mango is considered to be a ‘wish fulfilling tree’ or  'Make-a-Wish' Tree.

So, when you want to make a wish on a mango tree, shut your eyes and get someone to lead you to the tree; then rub mango blossoms in your hands and make a wish. 

The favour granted lasts only for a year and the charm must be performed again at the next flowering of the tree. 

So,

Go ahead....... n  Make a Wish! For all you know, it might just get granted.

Blossom giving way to Bunch of Mangoes...high up on the Tree.

Finally.... the Fruits of Labour... Dusheri Mangoes  (Desapped, Soaked, Washed n Dried)
Unripe ones well suited for making pickles n aam panna (green mango drink)

Too bad, I just read about the folklore only recently, and so could not 'make-a-wish' this flowering season but, yeah, I intend to give it a try, during the next mango flowering season, come Spring. I have already started working on my rather long 'WISH LIST' and hoping that the Mango Tree would grant them all. Amen.


My entry for Outdoor Wednesday # 128

Yipppppeeeee! Its Raining....

Today morning I woke up to this really awesome weather after the rain and the dust storm, last night.  The storm did leave its trail of leaves n branches strewn all over the yard, a basket full of Mangoes which must have fallen down during the storm, a displaced bamboo fencing,10 -12 broken pots wherein their plants had to be re-potted first thing in the morning n more....

YET, in-spite of all this damage, I am not complaining and merely enjoying the aftermath of the first rains of the season.... the wet grass, the distinctive scent of the soil after the rains, the pearly droplets on flowers, overcast skies n the refreshing site of the rain washed greens all around....

The Garden... after the Rain this morning

 Bougainvillea in all its glory. Wonder how these delicate paper-y flowers are still up there even after the storm????

Fountain Palm.... braving the changing seasons, 24 * 7... 365 days a year!

Bravo! This MANGO seems to have stuck it out....

........while most others, were 'Gone with the Wind'  

Crepe Myrtle.....in Pretty Pinks!

PINK..... Seems to be the colour of the season in our garden this summer

More Pinks @ Portulaca's, waiting in the wings to bloom n for the sun to come-up again.....

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; 
there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather"
~John Ruskin

Hope you enjoy the 'good weather' times ahead.....

Maaza Mango

Picture of the FIRST MANGOES in our Yard, this Summer.

My Entry for Wordless Wednesday! n Outdoor Wednesday n The Creative Exchange

Shhhhh....Lets get Wordless.

Monkey Menace

A Mango Tree and a Mano Kamini forming a single Umbrella Canopy

Our 120+ year old house with its sprawling greens, right in the heart of the city, is an urban paradise for the birds, the butterflies n the bees, what with a riot of flowers; fruiting trees like Mangoes, Guava’s, Jackfruit, Custard Apple, Bel, and Lemon; and a thriving kitchen garden with carrots, radish, cauliflower n cabbages, mustard, spinach, chili, tomatoes, coriander et al. Most of the vegetable and fruits produced is used for home consumption and often shared with the neighborhood friends, cousins, the helpers at home and yeah the MONKEYS!

  Kitchen Garden @ Side Yard
As of now, some of the beds have been cleared for the next plantation

In the recent years, troop of monkeys  have started visiting our house, almost every other day, messing up and uprooting the potted plants, ravaging the kitchen garden; creating havoc during the mango growing season, destroying the mango crop, merely plucking them, munching on them and then throwing away the half-eaten mangoes.

Monkey drinking water from the tap

There have been instances when these marauding monkeys have entered our dining room, from the back door, for a bunch of bananas. Once, a rather audacious monkey, even dared to open the refrigerator and took off with only a boiled potato. No doubt, they are super-intelligent creatures….as they know how to unlash the lid of the water tanks and enjoy a refreshing dip in it during the summers. They have somehow even learn't how to turn open the tap and drink water, though, never ever close it back.

Occasionally, we use an unloaded air gun to scare them and to keep them at bay. Just the site of a person carrying the air gun is enough to make them run helter-skelter and disperse momentarily. They are becoming an urban menace with an increasing threat to us, the kids, the neighborhood, when they attack and even bite. Come to think of it, our otherwise ferocious Labrador.... is scared of them too.

Roses, Ixora n Ficus - up close from the roof

Yesterday turned out to be one hell of a day, when our domestic helper’s 8 year old son had a narrow escape after coming face-to-face with a one such monkey on the roof. He had been flying a kite along with his elder brother and in his haste, the kid, jumped off the 12 feet high ceiling. Thank God for small mercies, he landed on a Bushy Ixora plant growing as a hedge, which cushioned his fall to a large extent. He’s been in a state of shock, ever since, has no visible wounds, but has been under observation, to rule out any internal injuries and/or fractures.

Dangerous! It looks like the Ixora is just a step away from the roof. Isn't it ?

There family of five live in the adjoining quarters. All three boys, between the age group of 14yrs and 8yrs, usually spend their free time, before and after school, playing cricket in the yard or flying kites or chasing after them… on the roof, along with 3-4 other kids from the neighborhood.

He had his parents and all of us in the family worried and on our toes for a major part yesterday. More so recalling our families personal memories from the past when my brother had taken a similar fall from almost the same place decades back as a 5^th grader in school. He too had been chasing a kite back then. Trying to retrieve it from a tree top,  he jumped on these precarious tin roof covers of the servant quarter’s, which caved in under his weight, taking him along. He too had a narrow escape with only a fracture in his arm. Some memories!

Anyways, with a rather frenzied n eventful day behind us, I am glad the kid is safe. Hopefully, they will now be more cautious before whizzing upstairs to fly kites and, yeah, stay away from these monkeys.

I wish some action could be taken by the civic authorities and the forest department to rehabilitate the monkeys, so that they stop encroaching on human establishments while posing to threaten our personal safety.

Vishwa Vriksha

What is the first thought that comes to your mind, when it comes to TREES?

Do you feel motivated when you see its webbed roots firmly entrenched deep into the soil, keeping the tree grounded, while the trunk never ever ceases to reach out for the sky high above?

Do you find them visually appealing n beautiful, or do you appreciate them for the fruits that they bear for us – The Mangoes, Pears, Guava’s, Peach, and the Figs n more?

Is it the whiff of fragrance from the flowers which delights your senses… or the rustle of the leaves… with the gentle breeze or roaring winds?

Or is it the fact that they provide us with WOOD for our furniture & log for the fire? How about the Green Foliar Canopy providing us with Shade, as we relax on a bench underneath it on a balmy evening admiring the sunset?

Or, Is it all these things clubbed into one…… defining Vishwa Vriksha - A World (Vishwa) Tree (Vriksha), that provides shade and shelter for all humanity, a life line for the earth and its environment, protecting n balancing the ecosystems.

What is it that you might find inspiring about the VISHWA VRIKSHA i.e. THE WORLD TREES????

Well….In lieu of the WORLD EARTH DAY today, I thought I would 'GO GREEN' and share some pictures of beautiful TREES, which caught my attention, during my trip to the country down under. So...

Lets GO GREEN...

....with Trees from OZ

Sitting under the shade of  this tree's majestic umbrella Canopy  (above)  our family of twelve enjoyed a pleasant evening, sipping coffee n chit-chatting, overlooking the Cooling Blue waters of Balmoral Beach

This grassy patch lined with Tall Fountain Palms and Eucalyptus trees led to the golden, sandy beach just ahead....Balmoral Beach, Sydney

Fascinated by the florescent foliage of these Twin Tree's

Twin Jacaranda’s  - Circular Quay, Nr Opera House

called for a picturesque snap shot from a distance

My cousin’s en- route to the NSW Art Gallery, from Woolloomooloo, where we had parked the car. All four of us instantly liked the Location name..... WOOLLOOMOOLOO .....and kept trying to pronounce It over n over again ... ...Woooo Lloooo Moooo Looooooo .....

A Magnificent MORTEIN BAY FIG Tree (Ficus macrophylla)

 showing off its buttress roots

Now, that’s the NSW Gallery at a distance....across the Domain, adjoining the Royal Botanic Garden @ Sydney. The Domain : Its a 34 hectares Open area located on the eastern edge of the Sydney central business district, near Woolloomooloo, lined with hundreds of these remarkable Mortein Bay Fig Trees, also referred to as the FIG AVENUE, by the locals.

What’s that stone doing up there???????

 Btw, this interesting piece d'art above stands tall right opposite the entrance to New South Wales Art Gallery, Sydney.

Clicked this cute little slanting tree when out on a Morning walk

 @ The Esplanade, Cairns

Further down the Esplanade …

I caught this cyclist enjoying a GROOVY bicycle ride, early in the morning.

Couldn’t resist taking a pot shot of a Mango Tree, loaded with Mangoes....
Notice the epiphytes growing on the tree trunk – a common feature on most of the trees growing in the vicinity.

Later, it had started to drizzle slightly, while I continued walking further down this beautiful stretch (lined with rows of trees n more trees on one side and the sea on the other) towards the Pier n the Lagoon. Somehow, these trees definitely looked a lot greener after a shower that morning.

Finally, though I like all the above shots I am sharing here today, this one is my Personal Fav from the lot ~  a Picture Perfect setting of a bench under the shade of this Majestic TREE…..  An Ideal location for relaxation n some blissful reverie! @ Warook County Farm, Melbourne

So, here’s wishing all a GREENER EARTH on World EARTH DAY today!

March, Mango n Mealy Bug

The month of March, Mangoes and Mealy bugs, all three M's, go hand-in-hand, as spring is giving way to  the hot, sweltering summer months ahead.....

Its only March and the day temperatures here have already touched 40 degrees Celsius. Phew! Wonder what's its going to be like in the month of May?????

Anyways, with Spring new leaves are still getting formed at the tips of the branches and they appear so delicate and different, than the usual greens at this point of time. I thought I will capture their complimentary n blushed, Rosey Avtaar and share here via my blog, before they turn Green. (with envy)

The Mango flowers are giving way to teeny-tiny fruits. This particular inflorescence looked quite dense for a picture.

While its good to see the fruits setting in, its quite disheartening to see these silvery white, cottony, Mealy Bugs, which pose  a serious problem affecting almost all of the the nine odd Mango trees in our yard, this time of the year and year after year, as most of these trees are mature n about 15-20 years old.

Over the years, we have got quite accustomed to seeing these Mealy Bugs on the trees, during the month of March. Anyways, we intend spraying some  insecticides, pesticides, as early as possible, to combat these measly looking pest threatening to hamper the Mango Crop.

And, off course, Can't wait for these teeny-tiny fruits to ripen, so that we can devour them as fresh Mango pickle, aam ka panna (Mango drink), Mango chutney, Mango souffle and as MANGO - the King of Fruits!

Now That Spring is in the Air....

.... With the Flowers everywhere....
When all the Birds are singing in the sky... 
We had Joy we had Fun... 
We had Seasons in the Sun.....

Hmmm...
Now that Spring is in the Air...

I have been listening to this yesteryears... beautiful song…. ‘Seasons in the Sun’ by Westlife, these last few days and still can’t get over the lines, the lyrics which read…. 'Now that spring is in the Air'…also the title of this post.

Whoa! The Mango Trees resplendent with blossom appear promising, as they gear up to bear loads of  Juicy Mango fruits, in the coming summers months following spring.

The new set of shiny, glossy leaves on the Lipstick Ficus, appear so delicate n fresh with their rose tinted tips.

 The semi-cascading Tamarind Tree too is in the process of growing back its flourishing green foliage...

I love the way, the century old, white marble Fountain, the heart of the garden, stands blissfully tall, amidst a carpet of snowy white flowers.

You can also catch a glimpse of the Araucaria tree, the fountain Palm & Ixora's at a distance, the yet- to- bloom patch of Lily’s in the right corner, a row of Petunia’s and dog flowers towards the right again.

A row of Calendula’s n Marigold Yellows flush with bloom just behind me…..

Tons of Scarlet… Reds n yeh…. fiery Orange hues…. here, there, everywhere, adding loads of dazzling n blazing, vibrancy to our Spring Garden, this season.

Alas! Just a speck of beaming Aster Blues ….infront of me… the view of the Aster flower bed, obscured by the Flora Fountain.

However, loads of  Lovely Pinks....thriving all over &....all around again.

It’s a beautiful time of the year here…. 

....With the garden abuzz with spring colours and life...... the fluttering Butterflies, Birds n Bees, skirting Squirrels, hopping Frogs and off course lots n lots of Blooming Flowers n more….

Here's Wishing all a Glorious Spring... with the song 'Seasons In the Sun' .