There are mangoes that even mimic the taste of guava and pineapple, mangoes shaped like apples and bananas
- The Jhariya family’s mango orchard, Anil Farms, is a place where tradition meets science, and where every fruit has a story
By Neeta Lal
About three km from the edge of Gujarat’s Gir forest, in the little-known village of Bhalchhel, is a sprawling 12.5-acre orchard where over 300 varieties of mangoes grow on a single farm! Clearly, this is no ordinary orchard. It’s India’s largest “live mango museum”—the fruit of three generations of labor, experimentation, and agricultural innovation by the Jhariya family.
Here, mangoes aren’t just fruit; they’re narrative. Anil Farms boasts two-inch dwarf mangoes, crimson-red Japanese Miyazaki mangoes that sell for $30 (₹25,000) per kilo, and even a one-of-a-kind tree that produces 80 different mango varieties. Wait. There are even mangoes that mimic the taste of guava and pineapple, mangoes shaped like apples and bananas, and 14 baramasi types that bear fruit year-round.
This astonishing diversity isn’t accidental. It’s the result of four decades of travel, research, and relentless grafting—from dusty Indian orchards to global fruit expos in Japan and Israel. What began as a modest Kesar mango plantation in the 1980s is today a globally aware orchard with a local soul.
The Mango Whisperer
The journey began with entrepreneur Noor Ali Jhariya, who acquired this parcel of land in 1985 and planted his first Kesar mango saplings. However, the odds were stacked against him. The land sits low, bordered by the Hiran River, and receives excessive moisture during the monsoon. Worse, it’s cloaked in black soil, known for retaining water—a hostile terrain for mangoes, which prefer dry feet and full sun.
“Mangoes are drought-tolerant. They don’t like wet roots. And we had the exact opposite,” says Noor Ali’s grandson Sumeet Jhariya, the third-generation cultivator now running operations. To tackle these issues, the family worked with soil technologists, replaced topsoil, added customized nutrients, and built raised beds for natural drainage. They also implemented drip irrigation, allowing precise water control. What emerged was a resilient model of mango farming in a region few thought suitable.
Grafting a Legacy
By the 1990s, Noor’s son Shamsuddin had expanded the farm and set up a nursery to sell mango saplings. He was curious about other varieties and began sourcing unique cultivars from across India: Langda, Dasheri, Chausa, Banganapalli, and southern gems like Chinna Rasam and Chandrama. His travels took him to agricultural universities and research stations. In 1992, he acquired Sindhu, a seedless, high-pulp variety from Maharashtra’s Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth.
Sumeet continued this expansion, both literally and globally. His travels took him to Japan, where he encountered the much-mythologized Miyazaki mango, known for its glowing red skin, high sugar content, and fragrant aroma. Grown in heated greenhouses, Miyazaki mangoes can fetch up to $3000 at auction. “We grow them outdoors,” says Sumeet. “Our costs are far lower, but the fruit quality is excellent.”
Today, the Jhariya orchard repertoire includes mangoes from Israel, Australia, Thailand, the US, and across Europe—each adapted to Indian conditions through careful grafting and soil management.
Orchard Science
Mango farming, especially at this scale, requires scientific precision. Mango trees don’t breed true; a seed won’t reliably reproduce the parent’s qualities. The Jhariyas use grafting to clone trees, joining the scion (a branch from a desirable variety) to the rootstock (a wild or local seedling with disease resistance). Their success rate is around 80% for Indian varieties and 20–30% for exotics.
“There’s also a difference in fruiting time,” Sumeet explains. “A mango that ripens in December in Florida will ripen in June here. The plant adjusts to climate, but we have to give it the right cues—like water stress followed by heat.”
To maximize space and output, the farm also employs high-density planting. Instead of traditional 40-foot gaps, trees are planted 10–12 feet apart and pruned aggressively. This method not only speeds up fruiting (from 15 years down to 7–10) but also increases yield, from 6–12 tons per hectare to as much as 120 tons.
Agritourism & the Mango Economy
The orchard’s transformation isn’t just agronomic—it’s experiential. What started as a two-room farmhouse has evolved into a 30-room mango resort, drawing tourists from India, the UAE, the UK, and Japan. The family offers guided orchard walks, fruit tastings, grafting workshops, and seasonal mango festivals.
Their revenue comes from three primary streams: fruit sales, sapling and plant sales via the nursery, and tourism. “It’s not just about selling mangoes anymore. It’s about storytelling, education, and experience,” says Sumeet.
During mango season, the farm even conducts auctions for the season’s first fruit, with proceeds going to local causes such as a village cowshed. “We took a cue from Japan. Their first Miyazaki auction fetches thousands of dollars. Here too, auctioning premium Kesar boxes uplifts morale—and helps the community,” he adds.
The Business of Diversity
The Jhariyas’ mango portfolio is arguably one of the most diverse in the world. Some trees yield bright red fruits, others produce low-sugar options suitable for diabetics. There’s even a tree that tastes like lemon-infused mango—a surprise on the palate.
And yet, the farm doesn’t just serve the curious. It’s also a model for sustainable, small-scale agribusiness. With India’s landholdings shrinking, high-density mango farming and graft-based propagation offer a viable path forward for farmers looking to maximize returns.
What makes the Jhariya orchard stand out, however, isn’t just its scale—it’s the intentionality. Every variety has been selected with purpose. Every challenge has led to a solution. “We didn’t set out to create a museum,” says Sumeet. “We just didn’t stop collecting.”
In a world chasing uniformity and monoculture, Bhalchhel’s mango museum stands tall as a monument to agricultural curiosity and innovation. It’s a place where tradition meets science, and where every fruit has a passport and a story. If mangoes are India’s national obsession, then this orchard is its grand, juicy epic.
Read: A Sindhi Saint of Bairagarh and his Mango Trees
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Delhi-based journalist and Editor Neeta Lal has worked with India’s leading publications in her three-decade career. She writes for over 20 publications
Courtesy: India Currents
