Ever heard of Sonpari – a mango variety from Gujarat that is a royal union of Alphonso and Baneshan? While it is a mango that is made by the union of the queen of mangoes (Alphonso) and the pride of South (Baneshan), surprisingly, only a few outside the state have encountered Sonpari.

Yet, Sonpari’s story is not one of mere local fame. Its legend has sailed across oceans.

Dr. CK Timbadia, vice chancellor of Gujarat Natural Farming University, recalls how the diaspora in California clamours for its taste, with orders for 1,200 kg from Gujaratis settled far from home.

It was Dr. Timbadia who, in 2017, first summoned the media to witness Sonpari.

Tracing Sonpari’s roots

But what is the story behind this golden hybrid? To understand how it came to be, we need to go back a few decades. The roots of this golden marvel trace back to the Agriculture Experimental Station (AES) at Paria, now under Navsari Agricultural University. Here, Dr Rajnikant I Bhatt, a visionary horticulturist, meticulously evaluated and introduced Sonpari — christened Gujarat Mango Hybrid-1 (GMH-1) — for commercial cultivation in 2000.

The vigorous and lush trees bear their bounty regularly, which has made Sonpari a shade better than

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