India's mango man, father of 300 varieties

workers sort out harvested mangoes at an orchard in Malihabad, some 30 kms from Lucknow.

Kaleem Ullah Khan, 82, has earned one of India's highest civilian honours for his work creating new mango varieties

Every day, Indian octogenarian Kaleem Ullah Khan wakes at dawn, prays, then ambles about a mile to his 120-year-old mango tree, which he has coaxed into producing more than 300 varieties of the beloved fruit over the years.

But since 1987, his pride and joy has been the 120-year-old specimen, source of more than 300 different types of mango, each with their own taste, texture, colour and size, he says.

Originally published as India's mango man, father of 300 varieties