Summer Fruit
D. Indumathi, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai

Do you know that about 1,500 varieties of mango are grown in India? There are more than 1,000 commercial varieties. Each of the main varieties of mango has an unique taste and flavour.
By March-April, the early season begins, with varieties like Bombay Green, Himsagar, Kesar, and Suvernarekha. The peak mid-season in May-June sees varieties like Alphonso, Bangalora, Vanraj, Banganapalli, Dashehari, and Langra. The season ends with Fazli, Mulgoa, Neelum, and Chausa.
Mangoes are grown in almost all states of India (see figure). Each state is famous for different varieties. If you grow up in one area, you will probably think that this region's mangoes are the tastiest! You must have already eaten different kinds of mangoes this season, as they come into "season" and go out of it. Some of the more common varieties of mangoes are listed in the table. (Pairi is also called Raspuri in Karnataka and is extremely popular for its sweetness. Himayuddin (Himayat) is known as Imam Pasand in Tamil Nadu where it mainly grows in one orchard in Trichy.)
There are many hybrid mango varieties. "Hybrid" means that two different plant varieties have been crossed to produce offspring with combined traits. This allows breeders to create new varieties with improved characteristics like better yield, disease resistance, or (for mangoes especially) improved taste. Some of the more common hybrids are Mallika (Neelum x Dashehari), Arka Aruna (Banganapalli x Alphonso), Ratna (Neelum x Alphonso), etc., although very few of these hybrid varieties are grown commercially in the country.
The orchard starts bearing fruit after about six years and continues to give fruit for 35-40 years. However, the amount of yield depends on the variety and climate. Bumper crops occur when the rainfall is just right, and the climate perfect for the ripening mango. At that time, mangoes are plenty and cheap and we can enjoy them even more!
Sources: https://nhb.gov.in/report_files/mango/mango.htm, Wikipedia