Banana Variety Virupakshi (AAB)
10 December 2023, New Delhi: Banana Variety Virupakshi (AAB) is also known as Virupakshi, Malavazhai, Hill Banana and Sirumalai. It is a choice variety of Tamil Nadu especially grown in Palani and Shervaroy hills under perennial cultivation as a shade plant for coffee.
Crop duration is 14 months. Fruits develop a characteristic flavor under higher elevations. The average bunch weight is 12 kg and 6-8 hands with 80-90 fruits/bunch. The length of the fruit is 10-12 cm with a girth of 8-10 cm.
Ripe fruits are greenish yellow and turn black when they are over ripe, but maintain the pulp consistency. The skin is thick and fruits possess a very peculiar pleasant aroma and good taste and hence fetch premium prices in the market.
The pulp is pale yellow in color, slimy textured, and known to have medicinal value. Virupakshi is the only banana variety used for the preparation of ‘Panchamritham’, a famous conserve of all ‘Murugan’ (‘Lord Karthikeya*) temples in South India especially in famous ‘Palani temple’
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