The first Bada Mangal of the Jyestha month witnessed long queues at temples across Lucknow on Tuesday as devotees gathered from early morning to offer prayers and seek blessings of Lord Hanuman.
Across the city, bhandaras were organized where devotees were served traditional puri-sabzi and boondi, while several stalls also offered a wide variety of food, including fruit chaat, mango shake, bun makhhan, samosa, chai, ice cream, cold drinks, and chip packets.
Key Temples and Bhandaras
At the New Hanumanji temple in Aliganj, devotees waited under umbrellas for darshan. A special bhandara of guddhanya, a mixture of wheat flour and jaggery, was organized.
At the Lete Hue Hanumanji temple, the deity was decorated with six varieties of flowers, followed by a grand maha aarti and distribution of prasad to devotees.
At Lucknow University, the department of chemistry organized a bhandara near the metro station, where devotees and passers-by were served traditional puri-sabzi and boondi prasad.
Other Locations
- Parivartan Chowk: Stalls served mango shake, fruit chaat, and cold drinks as people queued in large numbers.
- IT College: Fruit chaat stalls saw a steady rush, with visitors collecting plates and waiting in queues for refreshments.
- Aliganj: Lassi, cold drinks, puri-sabzi, and boondi were served. Anil Verma, a visitor, stated that he visits the bhandara every year and finds the variety of food makes the experience more special.
- Kursi Road: A large bhandara offered chaat, chhole kulche, pani ke batashe, ice cream, and cold drinks.
- Nishatganj: Bun makhhan, samosa, and chai were served to visitors throughout the day.
- Indira Nagar: Dhokla, samosa, puri-sabzi, and tea were served.
- Gomtinagar: Fruit chaat, chhole kulche, and lassi drew steady crowds.
Jai Sharma, a bhandara organizer at IT College, said, "We try to ensure that no one leaves without eating and service continues without any break through the day."
