The three-day Pran Mango Fest has begun at Rabindra Sarobar in Dhanmondi in the capital. The event, meant to spread the taste and aroma of mangoes, is being held in a festive atmosphere and will run until 12 July.

It has 10 stalls of mangoes, offering varieties including Amrapali, BARI-4, Mallika, Haribhanga and Kalabati (mango banana).

Salespeople at the stalls said the mangoes are available at Tk 60 to Tk 70 a kg. Amrapali is selling for Tk 60 to Tk 110 depending on size, BARI-4 for Tk 70 to Tk 80, and the Mallika variety for Tk 80.

Buyers of 3 kg of mangoes at the fair get a 250 ml Pran mango juice, and buyers of 5 kg get a 500 ml Pran mango juice. The offer is available at every stall.

Yasir Arafat, a salesman at the Greenly Chapai Mango stall, told Jago News that there were fewer buyers because of the rain. "We have sold all kinds of mangoes since the morning. Amrapali and Surma Fazli are in higher demand." He said Fazli mangoes were available at their stall for Tk 75 a kg, and Surma Fazli at the same price.

Rajshahi's Mousumi stall is offering three kinds of Fazli mangoes at Tk 70 to Tk 80 a kg.

At the Daily Shopping Amer Mela stall, Kalabati (mango banana) is available alongside Amrapali and Fazli. These mangoes have come from Bandarban and sell for Tk 130 a kg.

From Thursday afternoon (10 July), the Mango Fest grew lively as many people came with their families.

Lucky Akter came to Rabindra Sarobar with her sister. She told Jago News: "My sister is visiting from our village home, so I brought her to Dhanmondi Lake. Then we saw the mango fair and bought Amrapali mangoes here. Prices are comparatively lower here than elsewhere."

Growers from regions famous for mangoes, including Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Natore, have come with their own mangoes to the Pran Mango Fest, billed as the country's biggest mango festival.

The organisers said all kinds of mangoes grown in the country are being displayed and sold, and the origins, history and heritage of different mangoes will be presented to the younger generation. Various games and traditional cultural performances from rural Bengal are also being held to make the festival more attractive.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.