The Indian Embassy in Ashgabat held a bright and “delicious” event this week, on Friday, in honor of the international mango festival. This annual festival, which brings together lovers of the tropical fruit from all over the world, once again recalled the richness of Indian culture and its culinary traditions, where mango takes pride of place.

As part of the Ashgabat edition of the festival at the Yildiz Hotel, visitors had a unique opportunity to try some of the more than a thousand varieties of mangoes, the fruits of which were delivered to the Turkmen capital from India the day before. But before that, the guests, including ambassadors of different countries and representatives of international organizations, strategic partners of the Indian diplomatic mission in Turkmenistan, were treated to a short excursion into the history of Indian “mango growing” and familiarization with the names and differences of their types, ranging from popular ones, such as Alfonso and Kesar, and ending with rare and exotic varieties. A small photo exhibition with informational support gave an idea of India's sacred connection with mango and the cultural significance of this plant, which apparently set the tone for such agricultural and breeding enthusiasm, which gave rise to an incredible variety of varieties with different tastes, shapes, colors, textures, etc. Of course, this was also facilitated by various ecosystems formed by the geographical, soil and climatic characteristics of the regions of India, but without human labor it would have been difficult to create such a national and global brand. Here we can draw a parallel with the Turkmen melon, and just as the Turkmen believe that there is no melon tastier than the Turkmen melon, Indians are also convinced that the best mango is the one grown in India. Indian Ambassador to Turkmenistan Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat shared the same confidence while speaking at the event. Introducing mango as a symbol of happiness and friendship in her country, she noted that the purpose of the festival is not only to introduce guests to the culture and traditions of India, but also to strengthen friendly ties between peoples. She emphasized the importance of such events to improve mutual understanding and cooperation between countries. The festival participants were shown a video about how mango grows, how it is grown and collected, processed and packaged to be delivered from India to the table in dozens of countries around the planet. So mango diplomacy may well become a tool of public diplomacy in the practice of international relations in India, just as China’s panda diplomacy once did.

And before moving directly to the tasting part, guests were captivated by an aperitif in the form of Indian dances. The girls on stage in sparkling saris brought the irresistible charm of Bollywood with its mesmerizing songs and magical choreography to the atmosphere of the evening. Meanwhile, the “hero of the occasion”, with a retinue befitting a royal person, sat on the serving throne in all its many faces, the names of which sounded as marvelous as the sensations from the taste of mango dishes were unusual - for the uninitiated. Salads, soufflés, desserts, drinks and even hot sauces, which surprised with their unexpectedness, acted as a harmonious accompaniment to the solo batch of fresh fruit.

Guests made associations with familiar and habitual tastes, but in fact, the king of mango is really far from any comparisons. Maybe this is the power of nature, in the generous gift of producing unimaginable diversity, albeit “copying” it from the inside for millions of years in a row. Well, even though everyone has his own evolution, the Indian holiday seems to have multiplied the army of “mangoloids” among fruit lovers.

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