The Pomelo of Devanahalli

Devanahalli is known as the birth place of Tipu Sultan. Today it is known for the location of the Bangalore international airport. But what many do not know is that  Devanahalli is also known for its pomelo-a fruit whose local flavour is not found anywhere else in India.

Interestingly, the Devanahalli Chakotha or Pomelo was on the verge of extinction a few years ago, Soaring land prices and the location of the new international airport had almost sounded the death knell of this wonderful fruit.

However, the State Government and agriculturists joined hands in preserving this “rare piece of heritage:, which was first introduced in this region by Tipu Sultan more than two centuries ago.

The world over, Pomelo is  used in exotic cooking, particularly in Thai desserts, jams and jellies.

The Pomelo fruit is unique to the Devanahalli region where it is cultivated. The shallow, well-drained, deep soil in and around Devanahalli is ideal for its cultivation.

Changing climatic conditions,  lack of proper cultivation methods and soaring land prices made farmers lose interest in cultivating this exotic crop. A few years ago, Chakotha was grown in large numbers in Melinathotadahalli, Raghunathapura, Shivanapura, Soopanahalli, Neelaganapalya, Beerasandra, Vishwanathapura, Neelaguntepalya and other villages in and around Devanahalli.

Today, many of the lands are gone and cultivation of Pomelo is shrinking.

Generally, there are 60 to 70 trees in an acre and each acre yields about 100 fruits weighing between 2 kgs and 2.5 kgs. Today, less than a hundred farmers are cultivating the fruit, when their number was more than a thousand a few years ago.

The Horticulture Department has begun conservation of germ plasm of the fruit to retain its originality. Plants have been collected at the department's biocentre in Hulimavu and are being propagated to farmers. Grafted varieties of the plant are also being looked into.

However, the highest number of germplasms of this fruit is in the Institute of Horticulture in Hesarghatta.

The Horticulture Department is trying to introduce new varieties of Chakotha in its farm at Doddakaggere, about 60 km from Devanahalli. It has setup a Pomelo Conservation Centre at Devanahalli. It is also introducing new plants in the area apart from supplying genuine quality planting material.

Chakotha is a thick, yellow-skinned fruit. It is the largest citrus fruit in the world and belongs to the Rutaceae family. It is known in the West as pomelo, Shaddock, Batavia lemon and its scientifically name is Citrus Grandis. The fruit is consumed as it is and is also used in cooking to make desserts and jellies. It can weigh up to 10 kg.

What makes it imperative to preserve the Devanahalli Chakotha is that the type of Pomelo grown here cannot be grown anywhere else. The unique nature of Devanahalli soil-loamy, clay and neither too dry nor moist- disallows the fruit from being taken to other locations in the state for cultivation

The Chakotha of Devanahalli is unique in the sense that its outer rind is thick and light yellow in color and its flesh is pinkish and mildly juicy.

Chakotha is also seen in eight villages in Siddlaghatta taluk, seven villages in Doddaballapur taluk and one village in Chickballapur taluk. Chakotha can provide supplementary income to the farmers and each tree has the capacity to bear around 300 fruits in a year.

As there is no organised market for Chakotha, most of the produce is sold by pushcart vendors at Devanahalli town and along the adjoining National Highway No 7.

Apart from the fruit, demand for the Pomelo peel too is increasing. The peel is used in some cosmetic and Ayurvedic preparations.

The Horticulture Department, under the National Horticulture Mission Programme, imported varieties of Chakotha from Thailand. Samples of imported Chakotha  were planted in Lalbagh, Hulimavu, Devanahalli, Hesaraghatta and other places. Unfortunately, it was only in Lalbagh that one of the samples started thriving.

The new variety which is successfully yielding fruits in Lalbagh is named Lalbagh Seedless. The Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) at Hesarghatta has developed another variety called Devanahalli Red.
Chakotha or pomelo is a native of South China and South East Asian countries. It is a bigger version of the orange and it is known for its therapeutic qualities. The fruit is good for people suffering from heart related ailments as it reduces cholesterol and purifies the blood. It is also used as an anti-oxidant and prescribed for people recovering from Chikungunya in order to tone their fatigued muscles.
The tale of the Chakotha is as fascinating as the history of Bangalore. Though the Horticulture Department claims the fruit came to Bangalore along with the Britishers way back in 1880, others say it was Tipu who first introduced it.

While a small-sized Chakotha weighing around 1.5 kg to 2 kg will cost you Rs 35 to Rs 40, the bigger one weighing 2 kg will cost you Rs 50 to Rs 60. The Chakotha plant starts yielding fruits at the age of 3 to 5. Each tree bears around 30 to 40 fruits at a time.

An ancient grove of the Cholas

There are scores of  monuments and places of religious and  historical interest in and around Bangalore. Some of them are of heritage value such as the old fort of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan near City Market in Bangalore, the Tipu Sultan palace and  the fort at Devanahalli to name a few.

But do you really think that the heritage of a place is only restricted to buildings. It also applies to other things such as parks and gardens. Of course, I am not for a moment talking about the magnificent Lalbagh here but another garden that is much more older and much more farther from Bangalore.

The trees in this garden were planted by the Chloas when they ruled over this part of Karnataka. This was sometime in the 10^th century and early part of the eleventh century when the Cholas were one of the most powerful dynasties to rule over south India. This was the time when the Gangas were ruling over Talakad, Chalukyas over Badami and surrounding areas, Hoysalas over Belur, Halebidu and south Karnataka.

The Rashtrakutas too were at war with the Cholas and they had on several occasions been joined by the Gangas in battling Cholas.  Bangalore and surrounding areas were part of the Chola Empire and this was more of a forest than the city that we know of now as Bangalore.

Since much of the area was forested and the soil very fertile, the Cholas planted a grove that has withstood the vagaries of Nature and is still standing today.

This is the tamarind grove of Nallur near Devanahalli, which today boasts of  having the international airport located around its periphery.

Botanists believe that this was Devara Laadu or sacred grove where nobody was allowed to cut trees. Hence, the grove has stood the test of time and today it has several trees which go back to centuries.

Nallur is about 40 kilometres from Bangalore and it is near to Devanahalli. The tamarind grove here is set on a fairly large extent of land. There is a beautiful but ruined temple of Chennekeshava within the grove.

The small village of Nallur is nearby but nothing much remains of the once provincial capital of the Cholas. Once a prosperous trading town, there is nothing left of  the Chola presence except the grove and a few ruined temples.

Many of the trees in the grove are 1000 years or more in age. Some of the trees are believed to have been planted during the period of  Rajendra Chola I.

Though the Chola dynasty vanished, the trees they planted here have weathered storms, changes in climate, changing political equations and even urbanization to survive.

In all, there are 397 trees and each of them have survived centuries and each has its own tale to tell. The grove is in a 30 acre land and it is now under the care of the Forest Department.

Over the centuries,  the trunks have withered and twisted themselves into different shapes. Some of them have again gone back to the earth and deeply embedded themselves again. This kind of roots or trunks growing downwards and boring into the earth is generally unknown for a Tamarind tree. It is the job of the Ficus tree to develop prop roost and sucker roots for that is what they are and not a Tamarind tree.

Another unexplainable phenomenon is that new roots have sprung up from dead roots. One tree with a large trunk was struck by lightning 70 years ago and it split into two. Over the years, villagers made a path between the two halves. Both halves have now become independent trees and bear fruit too.

Another rare case is of a trunk root from which shoots have sprung up and they have become fruit-bearing trees. They are not independent but have sprung up from the mother tree. No wonder, these rare spectacles has botanists scratching their head for a suitable answer.

The Tamarind fruit is an unusual red here. This yet again is nothing short of a miracle. A tree planted centuries ago again bearing fruit. The Chennakeshava Temple tells us that there was worship in ancient times during mornings. Krishna was perhaps the main deity. At nights, the tamarind trees played hosts to ghosts and demons perhaps and this could be the reason for their longevity.

The grove has been declared as a Biodiversity Heritage site by the Karnataka Biodiversity Board in 2007.

Do you want to know  the age of the youngest tree. Eight four years. And the oldest : nearly 1,000. This is truly astounding as botanists generally say that a life span of a tamarind tree is 400 to 500 years and not more.   

Apart from the trees, the grove is also home to several species of birds. A few years ago, more than one hundred species were recorded. More than 20 species of butterflies too were recorded, including southern birdwing, common Cerulean, Tip Crimson, Grass jewel and Danald Eggfly.  

The word Tamarind is derived from the Latin word Tamarindus. The Persian name for this tree, which is widely prevalent in tropical countries, is Tamar-i-Hind meaning Indian Date.

By the way, Dakar is the capital of  the African nation of Senegal. Dakar, locally means tamarind.

The leaves are eaten by musicians  to improve their voices. There is a tamarind tree adjacent to the Brindavana of  Raghuttama Theertha (this is so as Krishna loved this tree) and it is also depicted on the tomb of  Tansen in Gwalior.

Nallur is in Devanahalli taluk. It is on the road from Devanahalli to Sulibele. Nandi Hills is just across Nallur. So the next time you plan a visit to the Hills, do not forget the cool shade of the Tamarind tree

The Chennakeshava Temple tells us that there was worship in ancient times during mornings. Krishna was perhaps the main deity. At nights, the tamarind trees played hosts to ghosts and demons perhaps and this could be the reason for their longevity.

The grove has been declared as a Biodiversity Heritage site by the Karnataka Biodiversity Board in 2007.

Do you want to know the age of the youngest tree. Eight four years. And the oldest : nearly 1,000. This is truly astounding as tamarind trees are known to have a life cycle of 400 to 500 years.