The Gujarat government has decided to rename the dragon fruit as ‘kamalam’. According to Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, the fruit’s outer shape resembles a lotus. He said that the state has applied for a patent of the dragon fruit to be called ‘kamalam’.
- Farmers in Kutch, Navsari and other parts were growing the fruit and it should, therefore, have a local name too.
- The Chief Minister said that, though it is known as dragon fruit, it does not sound appropriate. The word ‘kamalam’ is a Sanskrit word and the shape of the fruit does resemble the lotus flower.
- Another reason Mr. Rupani cited for renaming the fruit was that the word dragon reminded one of China.
- The world’s largest producer and exporter of dragon fruit is Vietnam, where the plant was brought by the French in the 19th century.
- The Vietnamese call it thanh long.
(Source: The Hindu and Indian Express)
