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Lucknow’s month-long Banda Mangal celebration concludes
Bhandaras, held all over Lucknow for five Tuesdays and Saturdays over May and June, came to an end as the month-long Bada Mangal concluded on Tuesday
Bhandaras, held all over Lucknow for five Tuesdays and Saturdays over May and June, came to an end as the month-long Bada Mangal concluded on Tuesday.
Thousands of devotees thronged temples and Bhandaras dotting the city to sample the Prasad, which usually includes Puri and Sabzi. Compared to the last three weeks, temples saw an increase in the number of devotees as they made their last visit for the month of Jeshtha.
According to the Mandir committee, around five lakh people visited the historic Aliganj temple on the last day. Over 6,000 people were catered to in the Bhandara and Sharbat was distributed from numerous stalls within the temple grounds all through the day, said Rakesh Dixit, manager, Purana Hanuman Mandir, Aliganj.
“Because it is one of the oldest in the city, crowds sometimes become uncontrollable. The rush is also due to the fair held outside the temple, which will conclude with this Bada Mangal,” said Dixit.
A member of the Mandir committee, Hanuman Setu Temple said, “On the first Mangal, we estimated that over 50-60 thousand devotees visited the temple premises. Usually, on the last Mangal, the number climbs by 10% and continuing by that pattern, it is projected to reach 70,000, especially in the evening.”
“We estimate the number of people on the basis of the sale of laddus; this time, more than 50,000 laddus have been made to be sold,” the member said. “It is incredibly pleasing to see so many devotees returning after a two-year hiatus. We are fully prepared to handle the rush at the final minute because we have double-checked the administration and Covid SOPs,” he added.
