Lucknow's famous 'dasehri' mangoes originated from a tree that is still standing tall in a village, just 10 km from Lucknow city, on the Lucknow-Malihabad Road. The Mother Dasehri Tree, as it is now called, is around 190 years old and you can go and look at this beauty in Village Dashahri.
The story dates back to 1856, when mango growers crossing the Dashahri village had to pay a toll tax of five mangoes from each basket. One day, a dispute erupted between the mango-growers and the toll tax collector and the mango-growers threw their mangoes in a heap. A chance seedling from the heap grew up and became what we, today, know as the Mother Dasehri. Grafts from this tree were grown in the neighbouring areas of Kakori and Malihabad and that's how the famous Dasehri mango began to be farmed. This story has been documented in the Souvenir published by the Horticulture Department back in 1974.
The village Dashahri is situated 10 km from Lucknow but if you start at the Hazratganj crossing, it is about 17 km away. Head on to Hayat Hospital on Hardoi Road, take the road on the left after crossing the hospital. Move further 3 km, after crossing the railway line and village Dashahri, you will find the Mother Dasehri Tree. The tree, itself, is a landmark so you can ask anyone for directions after reaching the Hayat Hospital.
Dasehri mangoes will hit the market in the first week of June, so now is a good time to make the sojourn to have a look at this tree for its history or beauty but due to the lock down it is not possible.
Epilogue
When I had joined the Directorate of Contracts and Cost Management of the Naval Headquarters in mid-2000, the senior most among us was the affable and helpful, the then Commander Matloob Aslam Khan. In the course of my tenure, we had become close, so much so, that he insisted on Lekha and I being in the 'baaraat' of his son, Minhaj's marriage to the demure and lovely Aiman, at Aligarh. His daughter, Safia had got married to Salman a couple of years earlier to it and we had attended the great day. His wife, Afshan had spent the entire day with Lekha at the Army Hospital Research and Referral, when I'd gone under the surgeon's knife for kidney stones in 2009.
He had mango orchards in Bulandshahr, UP and the greatest thrill he used to find was in feeding each one of us with the mangoes - which he carefully cleaned, cut and distributed, during the lunch breaks. This was, incidentally, over and above the baskets of mangoes that he gifted to each one of us!
Was reminded of him as I punched in this piece. He passed into the mist of time around May '16. His family now stays, a good part of their lives, at Singapore. Captain Matloob Aslam Khan sir, you shall always have a place in my heart till my very end!
Tailpiece.
Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Got in touch with a few more of my classmates and course mates. The sizzling heat continues!
The story dates back to 1856, when mango growers crossing the Dashahri village had to pay a toll tax of five mangoes from each basket. One day, a dispute erupted between the mango-growers and the toll tax collector and the mango-growers threw their mangoes in a heap. A chance seedling from the heap grew up and became what we, today, know as the Mother Dasehri. Grafts from this tree were grown in the neighbouring areas of Kakori and Malihabad and that's how the famous Dasehri mango began to be farmed. This story has been documented in the Souvenir published by the Horticulture Department back in 1974.
The village Dashahri is situated 10 km from Lucknow but if you start at the Hazratganj crossing, it is about 17 km away. Head on to Hayat Hospital on Hardoi Road, take the road on the left after crossing the hospital. Move further 3 km, after crossing the railway line and village Dashahri, you will find the Mother Dasehri Tree. The tree, itself, is a landmark so you can ask anyone for directions after reaching the Hayat Hospital.
Dasehri mangoes will hit the market in the first week of June, so now is a good time to make the sojourn to have a look at this tree for its history or beauty but due to the lock down it is not possible.
Epilogue
When I had joined the Directorate of Contracts and Cost Management of the Naval Headquarters in mid-2000, the senior most among us was the affable and helpful, the then Commander Matloob Aslam Khan. In the course of my tenure, we had become close, so much so, that he insisted on Lekha and I being in the 'baaraat' of his son, Minhaj's marriage to the demure and lovely Aiman, at Aligarh. His daughter, Safia had got married to Salman a couple of years earlier to it and we had attended the great day. His wife, Afshan had spent the entire day with Lekha at the Army Hospital Research and Referral, when I'd gone under the surgeon's knife for kidney stones in 2009.
He had mango orchards in Bulandshahr, UP and the greatest thrill he used to find was in feeding each one of us with the mangoes - which he carefully cleaned, cut and distributed, during the lunch breaks. This was, incidentally, over and above the baskets of mangoes that he gifted to each one of us!
Was reminded of him as I punched in this piece. He passed into the mist of time around May '16. His family now stays, a good part of their lives, at Singapore. Captain Matloob Aslam Khan sir, you shall always have a place in my heart till my very end!
Tailpiece.
Got up at our usual time, the chores and was ready by a half past 9. Got in touch with a few more of my classmates and course mates. The sizzling heat continues!
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