Famous for its culture, tradition, monuments, and delicious foods, including Dussehri mangoes, now Lucknow will be holding Jaggery Festival (Gur Mahotsav) for the first time and it is expected to attract travellers from across the country. 

The Jaggery Festival was scheduled to be held last year but was put off due to the coronavirus pandemic and it would now be held this year. 

However, the date of the event is still not finalised. 

The Sugar Industry and Sugarcane Development department has started gearing up for this mega event. 

Recently, in a meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Sugarcane Development) Sanjay Bhoosreddy, the format and purpose of the Gur Mahotsav was discussed in detail. 

Officials said the Gur Mahotsav would showcase 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,” an official said.  

The mahotsav 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 flavours.

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. 

The One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme is an ambitious plan of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Gur is the ODOP of Muzaffarnagar and Ayodhya, and a Gur Festival has already been organised in Muzaffarnagar.