From black, purple to blue mangoes, how Kerala’s ‘mango man’ led the discovery of over 100 rare native varieties

As summer begins in Kerala, Sakhil Thayyil and his crew of mango enthusiasts embark on an exciting journey -- to uncover the indigenous varieties of mangoes from the nooks and crannies of the state. 

Sakhil is a native of Thrissur and runs a dry fruit store in the town. For the love of mangoes, he started a Facebook group in 2019 to educate, share and learn about the fruit. The group now has over 53,000 members.

"I've loved mangoes since childhood. Five years ago, while browsing through fruit enthusiast groups on social media, I noticed there wasn't much information about mangoes. I asked around for details about a few varieties but did not get much information. So, I decided to create a dedicated group, called Naadan Maavukal (native mangoes), and that's when I began hunting for indigenous varieties to preserve them.”

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Besides the Naadan Maavukal Facebook group, Sakhil manages ten WhatsApp groups under the Indigenous Mango Tree Conservation Project. The members of these two social networks wander across the state, seeking out unidentified tasty native mangoes.

On the lookout for mangoes

"I usually board a bus and, along the way, spot a few mango trees. After getting off at a nearby stop, I walk towards the location. Sometimes the tree is inside a house, an office, or even in very remote areas. Initially, when we approach homeowners, they become suspicious. But once we explain our group and purpose, they understand and help us,” he says. 

Sakhil collects fruits and stems from those trees. “Other team members usually go on bikes and cars for mango hunting. It is a very exciting process. It feels like a great achievement when we discover a new variety," he shares.

So far, the team has discovered around 100 varieties of indigenous mangoes, with 50 of them being very unique. 

Highlighting a few, Sakhil mentions the Golden Ponnus variety found in Thiruvananthapuram. Named after its colour, Golden Ponnus is a mango in a golden yellow shade inside and out, even when unripe. Unlike the Thailand variety Nam Doc Mai, which requires carbon paper to achieve its yellow tint, Golden Ponnus gets its colour naturally. It is less fibrous, very fleshy, and extremely flavourful. They discovered it last year and have propagated around 150 saplings. 

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Interestingly, all three types in this variety have different tastes, and it is a polyembryonic variety. In polyembryonic varieties, every seed contains multiple embryos. So the seedlings will be genetic clones of the parent tree.

"Another variety found in Alleppey tastes exactly like ice cream. It has a milky flavour and is very sweet -- perfect for freezing and eating. The fruit's interior is also cream-coloured,” he says.

"Ariya (also Arya), the variety found in Palakkad, can bear fruits year-round if grown in a polyhouse. Even without this setup, it can produce fruits in all months except the rainy season," Sakhil adds.

Speaking about the purple-coloured mango, Sakhil explains that it is believed to have been discovered by the 18th-century priest Elias Chavara Kuriakose, who named it Dukhrana and spread it across the state. However, over time, this variety became popularly known as Priyoor Mango. 

When the Naadan Maavukal team recently spotted another new purple variety in the priest's homeland of Alleppy, they decided to name it Dukhrana in his memory. 

They have also propagated it, and the saplings are available in several nurseries. Besides Dukhrana, the team also discovered a few other mangoes in shades of purple and blue and have named them Thamba and Jigu Jigu.

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Among the unique mango varieties is one named after Sakhil himself, called Sakhi, as well as Thrissurkaran from Thrissur and Thiruvambadi, a giant variety similar to the Kolambu mango and Mandakini, a mango that has a camphor flavour to it.

Conservation and propagation

Sakhil's work is helping in biodiversity conservation. He uses two methods to propagate and conserve these varieties: grafting and growing from seedlings. Once a batch of saplings is ready, an announcement is made in the group, opening them up for distribution. 

Initially, those who took the saplings didn’t care for them properly. To address this, Sakhil implemented rules and set a minimum price for the saplings.

"A few years ago, during highway construction near Kasargode, a huge mango tree was about to be cut down. I was alerted, and one of our group members went to check on the tree. With the support of the media, the government, and many individuals, we were able to save this variety,” Sakhil says.  The group has propagated and distributed over 1,000 of its saplings since then.

"When people pay for something, they tend to value it more. So we charge Rs 100 for each sapling that is rare or in limited supply,” he says.

“We also keep track of their progress by asking recipients to share photos of the plant’s growth periodically. We assist them with tips for successful cultivation," he explains.

The grafting of saplings is done by Vellanikkara College of Agriculture in Thrissur, costing Rs 75 per sapling. The mango hunting journeys are also money-consuming. The small revenue from sapling sales helps manage these expenses. However, we still provide saplings for free to those who cannot afford them," Sakhil adds.

Identifying tasty mangoes

On how he finds that a particular type of mango is best in taste, Sakhil explains, "We cut off the tip of a leaf, and a liquid oozes out. We rub the liquid on our hands and we smell it; the basic aroma will be present in 80 percent of the mangoes,” he says.

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In terms of taste, Brix can determine the sweetness, but the overall experience of enjoying a fruit is also based on its flavour. “Every kind of mango has different, mild to strong flavours, adding an extra touch of taste to these fruits," Sakhil says.

Initially, Sakhil gave away all the saplings, but starting last year, he also began collecting them. He now has 40 saplings, some planted in pots and the rest on a nearby piece of land.

According to Sakhil, with more people joining the tribe and support pouring in, many unique varieties can be identified, researched, and potentially gain due recognition at national and international levels.

"To spread significant awareness about native varieties, we observe Indigenous Mango Tree Conservation Day on July 3 every year. We put out posters, give away saplings, and more. If more like-minded people join this initiative, we can find and preserve many new varieties. Today, we can propagate thousands of saplings, but I aspire to expand these unique varieties by the lakhs," Sakhil signs off.

(Chandhini R is a Kerala-based journalist specialising in human interest, entertainment, and art and culture stories)

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