I think a little subterfuge was used. Not a South Indian Indica in existence. It was Kashmir that was used imo. I’d bet money on it, Assuming the indian part wasn’t a lie as well.
White Widow is
Cabeca de Negro x Kashmir, best guess. If I were trying to recreate It, these are the two I would use for my first try. If anyone successfully uses this information to recreate the original white widow, Please keep me in mind because I never got to try that one.
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I keep all my seeds in the freezer and they always germinate. 
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I’ve also heard Manga Rosa was used and I’ve said it’s the Brazilian strain used here on OG…but when i saw a white widow photo recently, i knew instantly a North Indian Kashmir was used. It’s unmistakable. Maybe someone grew it down in South India, but the greenhouse crew were landrace expert s and would have known It didn’t come from there. We are talking about subterfuge here.They knew damn well there was no such thing as a southern indica
from india. Manga Rosa is very similar to the Cabeca de Negro In that the version I speak of is not the landrace, but a Brazilian landrace hybrid from the early 70’s. Since they lied or used subterfuge about the “south Indian Indica”, I’m thinking another old Brazilian hybrid, other than Manga Rosa, was used. I find it really hard to believe they wouldn’t have captured that mango flavor in the finished white widow, too. Purely speculation of course. Manga Rosa is what is claimed
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Getting close!
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Excellent photography. The backlit image really showcases the plants structure and density. The low angle, late-day shots are really nice. Well done.
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Aha I found a better explanation of the “South Indian hybrid” explanation that Shantibaba gave. Something like you said a hybrid grown in the highlands of Kerala after being brought south
“ As was mentioned earlier, the pedigree of the Mr. Nice seeds Black Widow is the result of a union between a south Indian hybrid indica and a Brazilian sativa. The south Indian hybrid was found at Kovalum Beach, but it was ultimately cultivated in the surrounding mountainous terrain of Kerala. Shantibaba has stated in the past that the special qualities of the south Indian hybrid were enough for him to schedule a “safari” into the mountains of Kerala to find it on his Enfield bike. Within a few days, Shantibaba found himself “sitting in a café drinking a chai and smoking a joint”, when a middle aged, glassy eyed fellow approached him and helped finish off his smoke. After getting severely stoned and drinking the last of their tea, Shantibaba accompanied the man back to his farm only to discover this was the grower of the strain that had lead him into the mountains to begin with. After several days of testing numerous samples of marijuana, all of which had been cultivated, selected and “bred” for years based on resin production, selection was ultimately made on what would later become known as one half of the legendary pedigree of Black Widow. The man who helped Shantibaba finish his joint and ultimately supplied the seed that would later become known as the South Indian hybrid, told him that the seed had always been in his village, but that variation existed among the line depending on which village you visited to gather your wares. The plants are said to finish rather fast, but aesthetic wise have a sativa-esk appearance to them. Along with the Black Widow, several hybrids of this deadly lady have went on to garner much acclaim in their own right, most notably the White Rhino (now known as Medicine Man) and Great White Shark (also known as Peacemaker and Shark Shock), both of which have won a multitude of awards and cups in their own right, with the Medicine Mans pedigree consisting of Black Widow x Afghani and the Shark Shocks pedigree being Black Widow x Skunk#1. These are the original, “true blue” champion lines that garnered the reputations which precede themselves. Both lines find their ultimate pedigree traced back to the original White Widow bred by Shantibaba at the GHSC, now of Mr. Nice seeds (MNS), fronted by the legendary hash smuggler Howard Marks alongside the original “King of Cannabis”, Neville Schoenmaker.”
Edit: looks like @misterD agrees:
This thread, by the way, is legendary, there’s at least a dozen old school heads in there swapping origin stories and lineage for the stuff we trade here, well worth a read!
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I guess you’re from south India given your familiarity with the strain. 
I’ve smoked it a couple of times. One of the best I’ve smoked in my life, given that all I’ve smoked is shwag down here. It was the only time I had a hallucinating trip. I’m a very anti-theistic, non-spiritual person but that hallucinating trip certainly shook my core for a while. It’s a high I will never forget.
Another time, I got so high from the session, I threw up. Lol. It certainly is one up there. That being said, I will have some non-shwag hybrid strain harvest soon and I will be able to tell the difference between shwag landrace and a good hybrid.
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The Kashmir is easy to spot. Explains the white look and all that resin, too. It’s extremely obvious there is hashplant ancestry. I could buy the story that it’s a Kerala/ Kashmir hybrid from India mixed with Cabeca or Manga Rosa heirloom. That I could see.
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You think you’ve smoked the alleged kerala hybrid we speak of? Do you recall pine or mint terps?
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I’ve always wondered about the Dutch White strains and the American “The White” being hashplants bred towards density with how they have that fine coverage all over them, thanks for the education
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I don’t think I have. If you’re talking of Idukki Gold, almost every source and person tells me that it has been lost forever sine a while. That being said, I don’t recall tasting anything pine or minty with any of the weed I have smoked ever.
The Mysore Mango or MM Hills strain tastes and smells like raw (green) mango and is named aptly.
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If I know anything about people of Kerala( from my time working with them), we needn’t fear the worst for I know for sure some would have definitely saved the genetics…
Nowadays we are starting to see growers emerge from India here and there, soon the Idukki may resurface 
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Quite a few notes on the strain out there on the internet. Some say the strain may have been collected and saved by foreigners. Some say it’s been lost forever. A few of the local enthusiasts claim that most of the “Idukki Gold” sold now is just a bastardized version of the Sheelavathi strain. To be honest, my knowledge on this topic mostly comes from reading about and I don’t have any first hand knowledge. So, take my words with a grain of salt.
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No, not Idukki Gold. I was talking about the alleged hybrid kerala Greenhouse seeds found in situ. There is one 1940’s Idukki line around, given to a guy in Massachusetts by an Indian teacher. Reproduced only twice since the 40’s. I had worked out a trade but then the guy disappeared to the UK.
Idukki Gold " became" Kerala, which became Sheelawathi…by lowering the flowering time since the 80’s. Excellent old school breeding.
@Dirt_Wizard for sure resin comes from hashplants, but the Kashmir idea is my own, and only for the WW.
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Kerala gold of the 70’s - 80’s that had the piney profile you were describing.
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Sorry pal. I have no idea about the Kerala Greenhouse seeds. TIL about Sheelavathi’s history.
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Not sure if it’s because I’m getting a little older or what the deal is, but latey I’ve been bit by the landrace bug…and preservation seems to have taken priority these days.
I appreciate all of you guys out there who keep these pure lines alive!!!
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Once you’ve been in the game for awhile it’s natural to want to expand your horizon. Imagine if there were no landraces to explore, Only cookies and kush…preservation is a worthy endeavor indeed.
Happy to have you join in Preservation!
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