LUCKNOW, May 21 -- The Bada Mangal celebrations, which have their origins in the custom of providing prasad, water, and sweet beverages to people during the Hindu month of Jyestha, have developed into a citywide event that features a generous distribution of food. The residents set up stalls across the city, on Tuesday, transforming the event a lavish feast that included a wide range of delicacies, including potato puffs, sweets, puri-sabzi, kadhi-rice, ice -reams, ice-candies, colas, sherbets, aam panna, fruits, macaroni, and chow mein. People from all walks of life and faiths, braved the intense heat to congregate of the streets, which resembled an outdoor buffet. Throughout the day, potato puffs and imartis were being given out at a stall set up by the Shri Ram Murti Smarak Institutions Trust near Lohia crossing. "Our manager suggested distributing potato puffs instead of the usual poori-sabzi or kadhi-rice to give a unique twist to the bhandara. The joy on people's faces, especially the kids, made the entire day truly enjoyable," said Saima who works at the institution and was leading the initiative. In a bhandara organised at Khatu Shyam Temple, ice cream and peda besides puri-sabzi was part of the menu whereas one set by UP Adarsh Vyapar Mandal in Narhi included frooti, cold-drink, ice-cream, buttermilk, chola-rice and poori-sabzi for the whole day. Brothers, Anuksh (11) and Ankur (10) beamed with joy as they received ice-lollies at a bhandara in Aishbagh. "Who needs anything else when you get an ice-cream in a bhandara. We had been visiting various kiosks in the area, and ending our lunch with ice cream felt just perfect." Ashi Singh Gaharwar (23), who was enjoying prasad in Aliganj said, "Whenever I spot a bhandara in the city, the nostalgic smell of the food brings me come down to halt my vehicle at one side of the road and to get hold of my bowl of the age old traditional dishes of the bhandara. I was surprised to spot a variety of delicacies this time." For Abhishek Tiwari (26), a resident of Chinhat, bhandaras are reminiscent of their childhood days. He said, "I am always reminded of running and cycling down the lanes of my locality gathering varieties of food items all day out with friends by catching a glimpse of the bhandaras. It always seemed like a festival where we as children were drawn the most."...