Abstract

Nagoram and nagari orange, are other names for the sathugudi or the chinee orange. These names are derived from its original home-Karvetnagar town, popularly known as "Nagaram", the capital of the Karvetnagar zamindari. The famous Khasa (private) garden of the Rajah of Karvetnagar, was once reputed in the whole of the central districts, for the finest quality of chinee fruits it produced. All the trees, found in the original Karvetnagar zamindari, now comprising the revenue taluks of Tirutani and Puttur of the Chittoor district, are the descendants of those in the khasa garden. It is possible, that the chinee oranges found in the rest of the Chittoor district and the adjoining districts of Cuddapah and North Arcot, also claim their descent from the reputed original stock in the Khasa orchard. With the decline of the zamindari the khasa garden too gradually disappeared, and to-day not even a single chinee tree remains there to commemorate the origin, spread and history of the famous sathugudi orange of the Ceded districts. No record is also available to establish clearly, as to from where and how, this orange, first found its way to the Khasa garden. One theory has it, that, the fruit was first introduced into Palacole in N. Circars by the Dutch settlers and from there a few trees might have been introduced into Karvetnagar, by an enterprising zamindar..

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