Bada Mangal platter: Burger, baati chokha

Lucknow: Big surprises are in store for those looking forward to Bada Mangal festivities-the sabzi-poori, boondi and sharbat is passe, as this year volunteers are preparing to distribute burgers, ice cream, baati chokha and Lucknow's famous chaat. At several places, sharbat will be replaced by soft drinks and fruit squashes. Moreover, the feasting will be not just on the four Tuesdays, but spread across the month as committees have decided to put up stalls on other days of the week too.
"We have been setting up bhandara (feast) for past more than 20 years and every time we give out sweet boondi and halwapuri but this year on the demand of my children we have decided to distribute small burgers. I guess people would relish these more," said Riddhi Gaur, a businessman from Old Lucknow.

At another Bhandra in Daliganj, baati choka will be served in the stalls to be set up on second and third Tuesday. Anupam Mittal, who manages a bhandara at Naka Road told TOI there will be arrangement for chaat. "Paani ke batashe, aaloo ki tikki and spicy matar will be served at the stall. Over 3,000 people receive prasad all day so arrangement for puri-sabzi is also made," said Mittal. Ice cream, aam ki kheer, and lassi will be distributed at a stall organised near Gol Darwaza in Chowk. A group of associations involved in organising bhandara on the special Tuesdays has decided to choose different weekdays so that the service continues all month. "At least 3,000 stalls to distribute puri sabzi, boondi and sharbat are set up on Tuesdays of Jyeshth month of Hindu calendar and a lot of surplus food is seen dumped at garbage sites the next day, so we are trying to convince people to choose different days of the week," said Laxmi Kant Pandey, one of the key organisers. Whatsapp and Facebook are being used to rope in more individuals for the campaign.

Temple administrations have been requested to set up kiosks on different days and Koneshwar temple in old Lucknow is voicing the appeal too. Only some believe significance of bhandara is most on the day of Bada Mangal, so they continue with their old practice.