Malihabad
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Guavas
Guava growing areas of UP
The Times of India, Sep 06 2015
Neha Shukla
Quirky names for Malihabad guavas
Gbilak, Aishwarya, Lakhnau Unanchaas, Insaakwallah, the fruit comes with fancy names. One often hears Malihabad farmers discussing `Lakhnau Unanchaas' these days. It might sound like a postal address or the title of a mafia movie but actually it is a variety of guava. The guava season is currently on in UP . The state has 45,000 hectares under guava cultivation, mostly in Badaun, Pratapgarh, Allahabad and Kaushambi. “We are developing guava clusters in Unnao and Lucknow too,“ says director, horticulture, UP , SP Joshi.
As for Lakhnau Unanchaas, this is how it got its unusual name. In a trial done by the Central Institute of Subtropical horticulture (CISH) in Lucknow, the 49th guava clone turned out to be the strongest variety and was, therefore, named thus.It was first christened `Sardar' and then renamed. Horticulturists say this prolific variety is unbelievably good.
Mangues
Malihabad is a mango belt but it is equally known for its outstanding guavas. And their quirky names. There is the unpronounceable `Gbilak'. Farmers are not sure how it got that name but it could well be a distorted variant of `Rambilak', the name of the man who grew it first. There is another variety , mysteriously called `Insaakhwallah', developed by a Malihabad resident. In Rampur and elsewhere, it is called `Golden'. “Most guava varieties are chance seedlings because it is difficult to cross-pollinate the guava,“ says orchard owner Naseeb Khan. But growers in the area are also now raising longforgotten varieties like `barafkhana'. Grown on a patch where an ice-factory once stood, it is a big, very sweet fruit with fewer seeds.
Padmashree Haji Kalimullah, Malihabad's best-known mango man, has named the guava variety he raises ` Aishwarya', after the actor. And for a good reason. “The tree is been around for six years but it still looks young,“ he says. The tree yields a red fruit, with soft seeds and a lasting fra grance. “The aroma lingers on your palm long after you held it,“ he says.
Government initiatives too are yielding good varieties. One of the most popular is `Lalit', with its crimson pulp, and ideal for jams. Other similar examples are Panth-prabhat, Allahabadi-safeda and Sangam.
