The mango with a Nawabi legacy: Why it was watered with milk

For Indians, mango is not just a fruit, it's an emotion that resonates with the heat and aromatic flavours that the summer season offers. Here, every mango variety is a story, with a decades-old history. As soon as you talk about the hues and aroma of this fruit, it opens a window of nostalgia built around mango orchards, dishes, and more. One such variety, which is lesser-known and talked about is- Dudhiya Maldah- a variety native to Patna, Bihar. Scroll down to read the interesting story of this fruit. It is believed that Nawab Fida Hussain of Lucknow brought this mango sapling from the area of Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan and planted it in Digha, Patna. According to reports, he used to have many cows and irrigated the plants with leftover milk. One day, when the tree grew and fruit appeared, a milk-like substance emerged. After which it was named Dudhiya Malda. Dudhiya Maldah is known for thin seeds, very juicy pulp, and a thin peel, this is a rare variety that is on the verge of becoming extinct. According to a 2024 report by CNBC, the unique mango was exported to around 33 countries last season. It is also reported that this unique mango is sent to all leaders, including the Prime Minister and President of the country.According to an Instagram reel shared by the handle @rishifromfarms, in 1952, Raj Kapoor drove from Mumbai to Digha to taste Dudhiya Maladh and loved it so much that he filled cartons and took them back to the city. The post also mentions that in 1997, at the Singapore Mango Exhibition, where mangoes from around the world are exhibited and ranked, Bihar’s Dudhiya Malda ranked first. The social media post also states that the farmer who made it famous, Mohd. Irfan played a significant role in promoting Dudhiya Malda and earned fame at national and international mango exhibitions. And after his demise, the promotion of this unique mango slowed down, his sons couldn’t maintain it, and his garden where he used to grow Dudhiya Maldah is now a college campus. According to the post, today only 1000 trees remain in Digha. The CNBC report also states that there are around 50 Dudhiya Malda trees in Bihar Vidyapeeth, while only 1,000 trees are left in Patna.