India Post Special Covers on GI Tagged Products: 112. Hadagali Malligae

Sunday, March 10, 2024

112. Hadagali Malligae

Hadagali Malligae is a variety of jasmine grown in Huvina Hadagali and surrounding areas of Bellary District, Karnataka. The flowers are white in colour and having fragrance. Vasane Malligae is the synonym of the flower in Kannada. The volatile oil (essential oil) content in this variety is comparatively less.

Botanical classification of Hadagali Malligae is

Kingdom : Plantae
Phylum : Magnoliphyta.
Class : Magnoliopsida.
Order : Lamiales
Family : Oleaceae
Genus : Jasminum
Species : auriculatum

Plant is small shrub with little scandent nature. Leaves simple, thick, margin folded upside, slightly pubescent. Flowers borne in axillary cymes. Flower with long corolla tube and with 7 spreading and white in colour

The name ‘Huvina’ Hadagali gets by the extensive cultivation of flowers. The full name of the village is Huvina-Hadagalli and the derivation of the word is said to be from ‘huvina’, the adjectival form of the Kannada word ‘huvu’, a flower; hadaga, a boat; and halli, a village, meaning on the whole “the village of flower boats”.

Flowers are very fragrant and are in use since 15th century period of Vijaya Nagar Empire. The story goes that in the days when the city of Vijayanagara flourished, flowers for its temples and palaces were floated down the Tungabhadra River from this place.

The sandy red soil prevailing in this region is ideal for cultivation of Hadagali Malligae. The dry weather with good water supply also adds to the congenial environment for the cultivation of this crop.

It is propagated mainly through cuttings. Mature and good stem cuttings are selected and are planted directly to the soil in the month of July to August on the onset of monsoon. Land is ploughed by incorporating Farm Yard Manure and ridges & furrows are formed.

The Farm Yard Manure is prepared with the locally available weed species such as Eupatorium odoratum, Cassia spp. and branches of the neem tree (Azadiricta indica). This unique type of Farm Yard Manure provides the nutritional requirement of the crop and also keeps the soil in good health.

The plant starts flowering after one year of planting, but good yield starts from the second and third year. The flowering season spreads up to six month with June being its peak.