All for a gur cause: Lucknow to hold two-day Jaggery festival for the first time

Lucknow: Famous for its culture, tradition, monuments, and delicious foods including Dussheri mangoes, now Lucknow will be holding Jaggery Festival (Gur Mahotsav) for the very first time which will attract travellers from across the country.

The Jaggery Festival was scheduled to take place last year but due to the Corona pandemic, it will be taking place this year. The date, however, for the event is still not finalised. The sugar industry and sugarcane development department has started gearing up for this huge event.

The exact date of the event is still not finalised but it is expected that Gur Festival could take place on February 13 and 14.

Recently, in a meeting chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary of the sugarcane development department Sanjay Bhoosreddy, the format and purpose of the Gur Mahotsav was discussed in detail.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led BJP government is sparing no efforts for the publicity of the Mahotsav so that more and more people can join the festival and become aware of the quality and range of jaggery.

Officials here on Monday said Gur festival will be showcasing the branding of jaggery and its related products.                      

“Progressive sugarcane farmers from every corner of the state will be invited and it is expected that many specialist producers of the agriculture and food processing sector will also visit the festival and share their knowledge,” the official added. 

It will have stalls of jaggery chocolates, sweets, candies, and kheer.  The Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Sugarcane Research Institute have jointly prepared chocolate and other products from jaggery in different flavors.

This event which will be held in Lucknow will not only benefit Ayodhya and towns adjacent to it but will also promote sugarcane farmers of Awadh, Purvanchal, and Lucknow. They may use sugarcane crops for this diversified endeavour to make jaggery and increase their income.

According to experts, this natural sweetening food has enormous health benefits. Along with its medicinal properties, Gur is a rich source of energy, and many nutrients including iron, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and B are found in sufficient amounts. Malnutrition can also be eliminated by fortifying jaggery with vitamins according to the need.

‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) scheme is the ambitious plan of Mr Adityanath. While Gur being the ODOP of Muzaffarnagar and Ayodhya, the Gur Festival has already been organised Muzaffarnagar.

Muzaffarnagar has over a hundred range of jaggery processed products and these products will be displayed in the Gur Mahotsav.  Farmers who will visit the event will be made aware of them. Also, the interested farmers will be given training in this regard later.

In order to achieve the goal of doubling the income of farmers, the Yogi government is constantly trying to get the branding of agro-based products. (UNI)