Temples decked up, Bhandaras (Free food distribution camps) organized at different places across the city to mark the celebration of Bada Mangal. The festival devoted to Lord Hanuman starts with the Hindu calendar month of Jyestha and is celebrated every Tuesday of the month between May and June. Celebrated in Lucknow and a few other cities of Uttar Pradesh, this festival is believed to be 400 years old and is believed to be started at the Old Hanuman Mandir in Aliganj. This year Lucknow Municipal Corporation(LMC) is committed to facilitating environment-friendly Bada Mangal for the city.
Bada Mangal switching over to Eco-friendly products:
LMC officials and organizers of Bada Mangal ‘bhandaras’ discussed the topic of cleanliness during festivities and reducing the use of thermocol as well as plastic plates and glasses. This year they have decided to opt for environment-friendly products like, ‘pattal’, ‘kulhad’ and ‘dona’ to serve the offerings which include poori-aloo, malpua, boondi, halwa, chhole-poori and other delicacies as well. Shikanji and roohafza are served at various stalls across the city to beat the summer heat.
This festival is considered a part of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of Lucknow i.e. It is a fusion of Hindu and Muslim cultural elements. This festival is celebrated with great fervour at the Hanuman Setu Mandir on University Road, the old Hanuman Mandir and the new Hanuman Mandir in Aliganj. If you are in Lucknow, visiting these temples during the Bada Mangal festivities and savouring the delicious food served on stalls is a must. A social worker Shachi Singh said, “In the last few years, bhandaras generated huge waste and the plastic cups and plates could be seen strewn on the road. Cleanliness gets neglected while organizing these festivities.” However, switching over to eco-friendly products would increase the cost of organizing bhandaras. To overcome this, several organizers have come together to hold a single event instead of multiple bhandaras in a locality. The organizers have decided to depute volunteers to encourage people to throw the waste in the garbage bins.
Internship program for Bada Mangal festivities:
In association with the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, a city-based NGO is organizing an internship program for college/university students for a month to spread the message of cleanliness and environmental friendliness to the public through the bhandaras. This internship programme aims to transform the city’s Bada Mangal bhandaras into learning opportunities.
The convenor of the NGO said, “ This internship aims to involve about 100 students of different universities and colleges between the age group of 18 to 28 years for social service. Students attending this month-long internship will be awarded a certificate by the NGO and LMC.” He also said that this training is being provided offline as well as online. They have decided on group as well as solo activities for the volunteers. At the end of the program, a comprehensive report will be handed over to the students. Students from Lucknow University, Navyug Girls College, and the National PG College, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University among others, are part of the program.
To make the events of Bada Mangal more effective, all the interns have to work hard and spread the message of cleanliness and environmental friendliness to the public through the bhandaras. They have to make an effort to involve the volunteers more actively in this mission. All these volunteers will be given a certificate in social service at the end.
In conclusion, the city is ours and we have to maintain its cleanliness and work towards protecting our environment. Working together for the betterment of our environment during these festivities will help future generations to live healthy life.
Author: Vartika Srivastava
Vartika is an avid reader and writer with more than ten years of experience in content writing. She writes on various domains including technology, lifestyle, child care and parenting. A mother of five-year-old, she loves to cook, dance and travel when not working.
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