Malda, June 9 -- The annual Mango Festival in English Bazar has once again delighted visitors with an extraordinary range of mango-based culinary creations. Hosted in Ward number 12, the fair has turned into a vibrant celebration of the region's most famous fruit - the mango - with women from various self-help groups leading the charge.

From traditional sweets to modern snacks, the recipes featured this year were not only innovative but also mouth-watering. Among the most talked-about items were mango patisapta (a Bengali-style crepe filled with mango-flavoured coconut), mango rasgullas, and mango barfi. These items were lovingly prepared by local women using ripe mangoes sourced from their own orchards.

Moumita Singha, one of the self-help group members, shared: "This year, I made several types of mango sweets, including mango sandesh and mango barfi. I used the produce from my backyard trees. People loved them!"

A surprising twist came from vendor Bharani Lal, who introduced mango momos made with sliced Fazli mangoes. "I wanted to try something different.

The sweet filling gives the momo a new taste while still being familiar," he said. Adding to the innovation was caterer Kaushik Basu's mango biryani - a dish combining the fragrance of traditional biryani with the subtle sweetness of ripe mangoes. "It was a hit last year, and this time too the demand has been overwhelming," he remarked.

Beyond food, the fair included stalls selling fresh mangoes, mango juices, and locally crafted handicrafts. The entire atmosphere was lively, with music, dance, and the joy of shared community efforts.

The event ended on the night of June 8, after a four-day-long celebration of mango-inspired creativity. More than just a fair, it has become a platform to showcase the talent and entrepreneurship of Malda's women, inspiring many others to experiment and innovate.

"As the Mango Festival draws to a close, one thing is clear - in Malda, the king of fruits continues to reign supreme in the most delicious ways imaginable," stated Prasenjit Das, one of the key organisers.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.