Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, is known for its Mango Festival, where hundreds of mango varieties are showcased. But this year, the festival, held from July 4 to 6, 2025, at Avadh Shilpgram, ended on a chaotic note. As soon as the event concluded, a mob attacked the mango displays, stuffing the fruit into bags, dupattas, sarees, and pockets. Videos of the “mango loot” quickly went viral on social media.
The Lucknow Mango Festival, organised by the Uttar Pradesh horticulture department, featured more than 800 mango varieties such as Dussehri, Langra, Chaunsa and Alphonso. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the festival, which also included mango-eating competitions, technical sessions and cultural programs.
On July 6, after the event officially ended, attendees began grabbing mangoes from the display tables, mistakenly believing the fruit was free. Viral videos showed men, women and even the elderly climbing tables and scooping mangoes from the ground, stuffing them into bags and clothing. Some smiled while carrying their haul as if they had won a prize.
Also Read: Hilarious! Cat crosses road, chaos follows in funniest bad omen video ever
The videos sparked sharp criticism on social media. One user wrote, “This is our citizenship. No wonder other countries don’t want Indians.” Another joked, “Give us some more time, we’ll take the tables and covers too.” While some treated it humorously, most condemned both the organisers’ lack of planning and the public’s behaviour. One user suggested, “Morality and citizenship education should be compulsory in schools.”
The incident was particularly embarrassing as the same mango varieties were available for sale outside the venue.
Organisers admitted they failed to manage the crowd. “We did not expect such a huge turnout. Next time, we will focus more on crowd management,” an official said. They noted that a misunderstanding during the prize distribution led people to believe the mangoes were being given away.
Lucknow police have begun an investigation to determine whether the chaos was preplanned or spontaneous. Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage to identify individuals involved, though no arrests have been made yet.
