Mango mania on Chandigarh's Purv Marg, bumper yield expected from 9,000 trees

Get ready to indulge in the sweetest season ever. The Purv Marg, a 4-km-long stretch from Tribune Chowk to Transport Chowk, is witnessing an unprecedented mango boom this fruit season.

The mango grove, developed under the guidance of Dr Mohinder Singh Randhawa, the first Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh and former president of The Tribune Trust, is home to around 9,000 trees, primarily of Dasheri, Langra, and Chausa varieties.

Locals and passersby are unanimous in their praise, claiming that the fruit yield this season has surpassed all records of the past 60 years.

“We are expecting a bumper yield this season,” said a leading grower, Karam Chand.

Shalini, a mango lover who was buying her favourite fruit while parking her SUV on the roadside, said, “Driving or walking along Purv Marg this season is a must-do experience. The scenic route is lined with lush, young mangoes on both sides, making it a soothing and picturesque drive.”

“Don’t miss out on this mango extravaganza. Visit Purv Marg and relish the sweetness of nature’s bounty,” echoed Tara Chand, another buyer.

An octogenarian grower, Ram Lal, whose three generations are into this business, said, “Bumper mango crop is often considered a symbol of good fortune, prosperity, and a promising year ahead.”

“It’s wonderful to see nature’s abundance bringing joy and positivity to the community in Chandigarh, which is popularly known as City Beautiful,” echoed a local resident, Pujan Sharma.

THE CREATOR

An Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer, renowned historian, botanist, and author, Dr Randhawa was a key promoter of tree planting and was behind what became the establishment of the national tree planting week, known as Van Mahotsav.

Being chairman of the committee to plan the city of Chandigarh in 1955, he was instrumental in its landscaping. He was also the man behind the establishment of the Chandigarh Museum, Punjab Arts Council and Museum of Cultural Heritage of Punjab in Ludhiana. He also introduced many species of avenue trees to Chandigarh and founded the Rose Garden at Sector 16 in Chandigarh, the Punjab Agricultural University at Ludhiana, the Government Museum and Art Gallery in Chandigarh, and the Anglo Sikh War Memorial near Ferozepur, which was completed in February 1976.

Dr Randhawa, who served as the first Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh from 1966 to 1968, breathed his last at the age of 77 in March, 1986, at Kharar, where he was settled post retirement.