Magh Mela: Free meals, snacks to devotees win many hearts on Mauni Amavasya

These community meals were arranged at several localities and important roads of the city, some leading to mela area

Selfless service by thousands of denizens who organised ‘Bhandaras’ (community meals) on roadsides on Mauni Amavasya—the most important bathing festival (snan) of the ongoing 44-day annual Magh Mela here—won many a heart on Saturday. The food ranged from ‘Khichadi’ to ‘Puri Sabji’ besides snacks for lakhs of pilgrims who trekked long distances to take a dip in the holy waters of Sangam on the occasion.

Food as well as snacks being distributed to pilgrims on the roadside in Prayagraj on Saturday. (HT photo)

These community meals were arranged at several localities and important roads of the city, some leading to mela area and also in their respective localities. Locals, organisations and groups of good Samaritans, all were seen actively involved in offering free food and snacks to the tired pilgrims who had to walk long distances to reach their destination or wait at bus and railway stations because of the traffic restrictions.

While majority of these stalls offered ‘Khichadi’ to pilgrims and others, some of the selected stalls also offered ‘Puri Sabji’, tea and biscuits to the devotees. These free food stalls operated from tents to simply tables erected on the roadside and busy interjections of the city.

Although many of these pandals were organised at the roads leading to main railway stations, some people had organised the same in the Magh Mela area itself. Among these selfless service providers were volunteers of Sri Satya Seva Organisation which were actively involved at ‘Bhule Bhatke Shivir’ (camp of lost and found).

“Our volunteers noted down the addresses and descriptions of those who had got lost in the mela area or those who had lost their near and dear ones and at the same time we provided them with blankets, tea and snacks and took care of them until their problem was not solved”, said additional chief standing counsel, Allahabad high court, Akhileshwar Singh.

“Every year, we arrange free distribution of food as this will bless us too despite the fact whether we are able to take the holy dip in Sangam on the occasion of major bathing days or not,” said Satyendra Srivastava, a local who was busy serving ‘Halwa’ in Civil Lines area. “For us, offering food is equally pious as taking the holy dip,” he added.

“I had Puri Sabji after the dip and the prayers at a Bhandara in the mela area and while walking down towards Prayagraj junction with my family from Sangam had tea and biscuits besides other things at road side free stalls. It was really heart touching to see strangers offering us food, tea and even water with respect and love,” said Hemant Mishra, a high school teacher from Jaunpur.