It is more than a delicious fruit, for it is sacred, even a goddess Nanditha Krishna (Photo: Getty Images) The mango or Mangifera indica is the favourite fruit of every Indian. It is believed to have originated in southern Asia, particularly in eastern India. Whether it is Alphonso or Banganapalli or KilimookÅ© or any other, it is on the ‘Mango Map’ of India. There are nearly 1,500 varieties of mango in India, including about 1,000 commercial varieties. Each variety of mango has a unique taste and flavour. The king of them all, Alphonso, was the first variety to be grafted. The word mango comes from the Tamil ‘ manga’ , so the fruit is as Indian as you can get. But the mango is more than a delicious fruit, for it is sacred, even a goddess. Amba or Ambika, the mango goddess, is Durga or Adi Parashakti, Mother of the Universe and of all creation. In the Skanda Purana , she kills the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha. In the Devi Bhagavatam , Ambik...