1st Bada Mangal: Faith teems over as devout pour into Lucknow’s Hanuman temples

Devout thronged city temples to celebrate the first Bada Mangal with faith and fervour, more so because the festival was being observed after a pandemic-induced break of two years.

After a two-year interruption, the city’s Bhandaras returned, as did the traditional fair in Aliganj beside the new Hanuman temple.

To manage the traffic due to the fair outside the lanes of Aligang temple, traffic was diverted from the Kapoorthala roundabout to the Dandaiya market. Huge security arrangements were also witnessed near the historic temple. Another prominent temple in the city, Hanuman Setu, where Bada Mangal is celebrated in a grand manner, also witnessed significant crowds. However, there was strict security at the temple, and devotees were asked to enter by the Parikrama Path. Beside the temple, a tent had been erected and arrangements for water-coolers had also been made for the devotees.

Other Hanuman temples in the city including the Dakshin Mukhi Hanuman Temple in Hazratganj and Panchmukhi in Vikas Nagar, Chhachi Kuwan Hanuman Mandir in Kaiserbagh, Hanuman Garhi Mandir also witnessed a huge footfall.

Amid the scorching day temperature in the state capital, people were seen flocking to Bhandaras by the roadsides to get their share of piping hot puris and mouth-watering sabzi.

Vijay Singh, a Bhandra organiser in Vikas Nagar said, “We have waited for two years for this auspicious occasion. Now that we have some respite from the pandemic, we are glad to organise a Bhandara. We distributed prasad from 11 am to 7 pm.”

LMC divides city into zones

On the occasion, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation had placed dustbins at all Bhandara stalls and even sprinkled them with lime powder to maintain safety and hygiene. The entire city was divided into eight zones in order to maintain cleanliness in the city.