It is that time of the year again when every lane in Hyderabad is peppered with mango stalls, the sweet aroma hanging thick in the air. From pedda rasalu to safeda, daseri to langra, the city bursts with various mangoes arranged beautifully on wooden carts, but only one variety stands out: Himayat.
If you step out on the streets now, you will find mango carts proudly displaying Himayat as ‘A-1’, scrawled in chalk on black slates. This unspoken badge of honour quietly declares Himayat’s superiority over every other mango on the stall. This premium variety is more than just fruit, but a seasonal obsession in Hyderabad that dates back to royal courts.
Himayat Mango: A fruit for royals
Also known as Imam Pasand, Himayat mango boasts a rich legacy that is intertwined with the royals of India. The name itself hints at aristocratic origins as ‘Imam Pasand’ loosely translates to ‘the Imam’s favourite’. This possibly refers to a ruler or noble with refined taste.
Legend has it that Himayat was a beloved of the Mughal emperor Humayun and was locally called Humayan Pasand. While in Hyderabad, the most popular belief is that the Nizams adopted this variety from Tamil Nadu and gave it a royal transformation. The Nizams cultivated the Himayat extensively in their orchards and embraced it in the royal kitchens.
There is also a popular tale that the Nizam presented this exquisite mango to the Queen of England, who liked it so much that she requested a yearly supply of it. While this is an unverified folklore, it does not change the fact that Himayat is a mango that is deserving of all the fame and love it gets.
The most demanded mango of Hyderabad
Himayat is undoubtedly the most demanded mango of Hyderabad, and this high demand contributes to its status as the most expensive variety in the city.
Speaking to Siasat.com, Rajender, the owner of Hyderabad Mango Shop at Bazaar Ghat, said, “Even in peak months like May and June, when other varieties are sold for as low as Rs. 40-50, Himayat still retails at Rs. 200 due to its exclusivity.”
He highlights that one of the key reasons for this exclusivity is its cultivation. “A single tree typically produces only 20-30 Himayat mangoes, making it a limited variety. The process is also long as we pick raw mangoes and ripen them on the ground. There are a few farms around Hyderabad that are popular for cultivating Himayat. I get my supply from Shadnagar, Moinabad and Vikarabad,” he said.
Himayat is called Telangana’s most favourite mango because of its buttery smooth, fiberless texture and its intense natural sweetness. “80% of my customers demand Himayat aam, while the rest are crazy about Pedda Rasal,” Rajender said.
As the mango season stretches on, the demand for Himayat will only soar, and as long as it does, Hyderabad’s summer will continue to taste like royalty.
