Mangoes: The Divine Fruit of Pleasure and Love

Similar to the apple’s symbolic status in Christianity, Mango is a fruit with many stories surrounding its significance as a spiritual symbol within the Hindu religion. Except rather than sin, the sacred fruit is more strongly associated with love, pleasure, happiness and prosperity. 🥭

Hindu mythology is robust with stories that deserve to be told at a grand scale–at least as much as any others. In many of these spiritual stories and depictions, the mango holds a place of reverence, influencing the culture as a whole.

While highly regarded as the King of Fruits, the beloved drupe is highly celebrated throughout India and beloved the world over. As a Mexican-American, I am known to indulge in the succulent flesh of a perfectly ripe mango. Even just consuming it, is an erotic experience unto itself. This is a concept we will explore more deeply today, while uncovering religious concepts and more.

Regarded as a symbol of love, fertility and prosperity, the mango has transcended to become embody erotic pleasures, as enjoyed by the gods. And who wouldn’t want pleasure worthy of the gods?

Mythological Origins and Associations

The influence of the mango is quite apparent, when studying its influence on scriptures and folklore. The mango is native to the entirety of the India-Burma-Malaysia region, and thus is grown in abundance. In Hinduism, the fruit is considered extremely sacred, with many pieces of folklore and legends including the fruit. The mango is even mentioned in critical and ancient pieces of literature. Specifically it’s mentioned in the Ramayana and Mahabharata; these are epic poems, which are thousands of years old.

The mango tree itself was believed to be of divine origin, and associated with the Hindu God of Love and Desire, Kamadeva. Legends told of Kamadeva using the mango flower to create an intoxicating fragrance, which aroused the passions of the other deities. Kamadeva, similarly to Cupid, even employs a bow made from mango wood to ignite desire. 🔥

This association with Kamadeva links the mango to the concept of ‘Madhurya,’ or sweetness. This is a concept that extends beyond the taste of sweetness, encompassing love, beauty and bliss. And I think that’s beautiful.

Mangoes are so much more than. agesture of goodwill and love. When worshipping in temples, mangoes are offered to deities. This is a religious offering known as ‘prasadam’. As a sacred gift, it’s later distributed to devotees, so as not to waste the fruit.

Sharing this fruit with others is seen as fostering joy and spiritual fulfillment, beyond the erotic pleasures of the divine. Some may call it “sweet”. ☺️

Mango Hindu Religion – Rituals and Traditions

As we’ve covered so far, mango’s influence was not confined to the bounds of mythology. They have been seen in various rituals and traditions, like in weddings, as gifts bound in superstition, and as offerings to the gods. Mango leaves are also used in decorations, like garlands called “torans,” and to decorate the bride’s entrance to symbolize fertility and what she will bring to married life.

Mangoes are frequently seen throughout wedding ceremonies. In some cases, a bride may wear a mango leaf in her hair, which symbolizes fertility and sweetness. In some cases, newlyweds are fed mangoes to bless them with a passionate union, ifyouknowwhati’msayin.

Stories and Legends

There are many stories and legends I encountered, upon learning more about the fruit of desire. One of the more common legends involves the god Krishna, and his spiritually enduring romance with Radha. They have a bond that had endured since they were children, with the mango being a symbolic gesture between them. While they were not married, they were portrayed as a couple bound beyond the earthly realm.

As some of their stories foretold, Krishma was a mischievous and amorous boy. It was wait that he had playfully stolen mangoes to give to Radha, signifying his love and desire for her. The mango, thus, continues to appear as a symbol of their celestial romance, embodying the joy and ecstasy of love.

They’re even frequently portrayed under a mango tree, enjoying the joy of their bond together.

While there are dozens of tales, it’s impossible to cover them in a single blog post. If you’re interested in more mango storytelling, please comment on this post below!

On Mangoes and Pleasure – Let’s talk ‘Kama’

Kama is actually a really fascinating concept, unto itself, and it’s a small part of the overall eroticism of the mango itself. Also, it’s another concept I feel should be more widely promoted, as an eroticist. Be that as it may, you’re probably familiar with the Kama Sutra.

Kama itself is a reference to the aforementioned god of love, Kamadeva. Expanding upon kama as a concept is crucial in understanding the full connection between love and mangoes. ‘Kama’ is a term that is used to refer to creating desire.

Bear with me for a second–think of Kama like the present day art of thirst trapping. Broadly, kama refers to anything that may stimulate sensual desire, aesthetically or physically. This could be in the form of passions, pleasures, artforms, and beyond.

So, next time you feel a little more stimulated than usual, by that cutie on Insta? Kama, baby.

Have a Mango With Me

Going beyond the sweetness of mango, there is so much more to its sensual roots than the way it drips between your cleavage as you eat it (No? Just me?). That’s another blog, altogether.

There are over 1,000 varieties of mangoes–how many have you tried? This divine fruit is enjoyed around the world, in dozens of ways. Mango, a vessel of eroticism, is a fruit worthy of the gods–so that means it’s more than good enough for me.

While there are so many stories to be told, I’ll have to save that for yet another edition of Eros & Edibles–I couldn’t possibly contain it all in one post! Celebrate the Mango with me this Spring, and let me know if you learned anything on my social media!