Mysuru: The two-day Jackfruit Festival, organised by Sahaja Samrudha in association with Rotary Club of Mysore West, began at Nanjaraja Bahadur Choultry, on Vinoba Road in the city this morning. The entry to the fest is free and will be open from 10 am to 8 pm.
Writer and Jackfruit grower Krishnamurthy Biligere inaugurated the Jackfruit Mela by cutting the fruit, with a specially designed knife fixed to a wooden shaft.
Biligere said, generally coconut tree is hailed as Kalpavruksha, but not many are aware that, Jackfruit tree is also a Kalpavruksha in dryland, for having a rich history spanning thousands of years. Moreover, it is the only fruit without any hazardous and chemical contents. Now, the fame of the fruit has spread worldwide and is available across the globe. This fruit, apart from eating, the seeds and the shell is used for preparing a variety of food items like dosa, idli, halwa and various other delicacies.
“Apart from Siddu and Shankara Halasu, various other Nati Halasu (indigenous species) are available. Hence, we should give preference to grow Nati Halasu on a large scale. It is scientifically proven that, food prepared using jackfruit seeds also help in controlling BP, sugar and other diseases. Even if we eat the fruit stomach full, there is no harm for the digestive system,” described Biligere.
The uniqueness of Jackfruit is such that, the taste differs from tree to tree, offering a mix of tastes. Such festivals should reach all and grow into an international festival, wished Biligere.
Director of Sahaja Samrudha, Krishnaprasad said, the fest is being organised without any government support. The farmers are directly invited for the festival and provided a market to reach the customers. Jackfruit having its origin in Western Ghats, has now spread to various countries n the world. The conservation of jackfruit varieties should be taken up, so that the cultivation of the fruit can be converted into a profitable venture for the farmers.

Focus on underutilised fruits
Rajyotsava awardee organic farmer Ramesh of Shivanapura, released the pamphlet of Bilva Juice and said “Like jackfruit, there are hundreds of neglected fruit varieties that need to be identified and brought to mainstream attention. For example, the Bilva fruit, often used for worship, can be turned into delicious beverages and should also be popularised.”
Various jackfruit plants are available for sale and 250 grams of jackfruit is sold at Rs. 50 per plate and the regular variety of jackfruit is sold at Rs. 40. Besides, Halasina Halva, Dosa, Idli, Gobi Manchurian, Chakkuli, Kodubele, Ice Cream and roasted products are available.
60 jackfruit varieties
Over 60 jackfruit varieties, including Toobagere Red, Prakash Chandra, Rudrakshi, Shankara, Siddu, Lalbagh Madhur and Ambali are on display. Special attractions include red jackfruit varieties and Rudrakshi jackfruit of football size. Saplings of high-quality varieties are also available for sale.
Value-added jackfruit products such as chips, ice cream, halwa, dosa, biryani, and kababs are being showcased in over 55 stalls alongside organic seeds, fruits like mango and jamun, and artisan crafts.

Training and Competitions
Training sessions on jackfruit cultivation, pest and disease management and marketing were conducted.
Farmers shared their experiences with popular red jackfruit varieties like Siddu and Shankara. Fun competitions like estimating jackfruit weight and lifting jackfruit entertained visitors. The jackfruit-eating competition is scheduled for tomorrow (May 4) at 2 PM.
Deputy Director of Horticulture Manjunath Angadi, Rotary Club of Mysore West President M.L. Nagesh, Secretary M. Devaraju, Seema Krishnaprasad and others were present.
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