Lucknow's Aam Mahotsav ends in free-for-all scramble - 'Mangoes stuffed in dupattas, sarees'

A mango festival in Lucknow meant to celebrate Uttar Pradesh’s beloved fruit descended into chaos as visitors rushed to grab as many mangoes as possible once the event concluded, with viral videos showing people stuffing the fruit into their dupattas, sarees and pockets. The scenes, widely shared on social media, have reignited discussions about public behaviour and civic sense in India.

The three-day Aam Mahotsav, held from July 4 to 6 and attended by dignitaries including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, poet Kumar Vishwas and Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh, ended with a frenzied scramble for the displayed mangoes, Live Mint reported.

Clips shared online showed attendees laughing while hauling away armfuls of the fruit, some even using their clothing as makeshift bags. One X user quipped, “They all wish they were born with 16 hands,” while another remarked sarcastically, “Thodi der aur hone do, table aur cover bhi ghar le ke chale jaenge” (Just wait a little longer, they’ll take the tables and covers home too).

The backlash was swift, with many netizens expressing disgust. “This is our civic sense. No wonder other countries don’t want Indians on their land,” wrote one user. Others called for mandatory moral education, with a comment reading, “Kya karenge aise karke aam khakar Kaunsa jag jeet lenge” (What will they achieve by eating mangoes like this What prize will they win).

This isn’t the first time such scenes have gone viral. Earlier this year, a similar frenzy unfolded at Madhya Pradesh’s Global Investors Summit in Bhopal, where attendees were seen fighting over free plates of puri-sabzi. Viral videos from February 24-25, showed chaotic scenes of guests shoving, snatching food and breaking queues, reducing the high-profile event’s lunch service to utter mayhem. The footage, widely shared on social media, captured the unseemly scramble as attendees jostled for the humble meal, raising fresh questions about crowd behaviour at public gatherings.

While some dismissed the behaviour as typical, others linked it to a deeper cultural issue. “Kuch bhi kr do, civic sense kaha se laoge logo me” (No matter what you do, where will you bring civic sense in people), lamented one X user.