HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ATTEND LEICESTER'S FIRST MANGO FESTIVAL

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury. I should point out that the final six paragraphs appear in the online edition of the article, but not in the print version.

Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Keith Vaz MP and Bhai Jagtap with the elephants unveiled at the mango fesitval, in Cossington Street recreation ground

Hundreds of people attend Leicester's first mango festival

by David Owen

An Indian summer arrived early in Leicester today as the hottest day of the year so far coincided with the city’s first ever mango festival.

With temperatures reaching 22C (72F), hundreds of people visited Belgrave’s Cossington Park to enjoy the unique event.

Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, host of the hit Indian Masterchef TV show, was star attraction at the festival.

Greeted on stage to cheers and applause from the crowds, he said: “It’s a beautiful day to join you all here in Leicester. The reason we are here is because of the city’s hospitality – and the great taste of mangos!

“It’s an honour and a privilege to be here with you.”

Today's event recreated the world-famous International Mango Festival, which is held in Delhi every June.

Sanjeev treated festival goers to a cooking master class focusing on dishes using mangos. He was joined on stage by Bollywood choreographer Shiamak Davar and Bollywood movie art director and set designer Nitin Desai.

Other attractions included live music, dancing and children’s competitions.

Belgrave resident Avtar Kaur, 45, said: “In India the mango is king – it’s the national fruit and the most tasty.

“It’s such a lovely day and beautiful weather for everyone to get together in the park.

“I’m really enjoying myself with my friends and the weather couldn’t be more ideal.”

Vij Joraniya, 20, also of Belgrave, said: “I’m here to see Sanjeev. He’s the most famous chef in the whole of India and it’s so great to see him here in Leicester.”

Lavtar Singh Ruprah, 47, of Wigston, was enjoying a family day out with wife Reema and the couple’s two boys, Dhilan, two, and Harmeet, one.

“It’s a nice day out for the family and it’s nice to see people from all different communities in Leicester enjoying the sunshine and mangos,” he said. “You couldn’t have picked a better day for it, could you.”

The festival’s centrepiece was four ornately carved and decorated life-size wooden elephants – symbols of luck and prosperity in the subcontinent.

Thousands of delicious Alphonso mangos from the Kokan region of Maharashtra state were supplied courtesy of Indian producers who organised a similar festival in London on Sunday.

The decision to bring the festival here was made just 10 days ago after organisers approached Leicester East MP Keith Vaz.

He said: “It has taken a lot of hard work and organisation to put this festival together, but we did it in just 10 days.

“I’d like to thank the City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, the city council, members of the Belgrave Traders Association and everyone else for making this happen.”

The festival only went ahead after an appeal in the Mercury saw the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir temple, in Gipsy Lane, the Shreeji Dham Haveli temple, in Melton Road, and Leicester City Football Club agree to look after the elephants, which will be on show with two even bigger ones in the next few months.

Mr Vaz told the crowd: “These elephants will bring a great deal of luck to the city and in particular Leicester City FC, who play a very important match on Thursday.”

Speaking about today's sunny weather, Mercury weatherman Dave Mutton said: “It's more like India than Leicester. Ideal weather for our first mango festival.”

Organisers, however, have come in for some criticism after the supply of mangos ran out just 45 minutes into the festival.

“It was too short notice and not enough was done to tell local people what was going on,” said Gunvant Patel, 72, of Belgrave.

“About 500 people turned up at the park at 4.30pm only to be told it was all over. They went home feeling pretty disappointed.”

He added: “They called it a mango festival but it was more like a mango promotion, and in any case there were no mangos left by 3.45pm. Many people feel a bit short changed by the whole thing.”

LAST GASP GO-AHEAD FOR MANGO FESTIVAL

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Last gasp go-ahead for Mango festival

by David Owen

Leicester will host its first ever Mango festival on Bank Holiday Monday after 11th- hour plans came together just in time for the extravaganza to go ahead.

Organisations across the city answered Leicester East MP Keith Vaz's SOS call issued through the Mercury last week.

The politician admitted he cut it fine, but it has been confirmed that Belgrave's Golden Mile will replicate the world-renowned fruit festival held in Delhi every June.

Cossington Recreation Ground will be a sea of yellow and orange, with city residents from all communities invited to come along and join the fun.

In keeping with tradition, four giant ornately-carved wooden elephants will be the centrepiece of the festival, which will include Indian cooking demonstrations, dancing and music.

Mr Vaz hailed the staging of the festival an "organisational triumph" for the city.

"We really had our backs to the wall," he said. "But Leicester has been able to pull this together in just 10 days.

"It has been a magnificent effort and I want to thank the City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, the city council's festival team, the police, Belgrave Traders Association and others for pulling this together at very short notice.

"I am particular delighted that a home has been found for the six elephants that will come especially from India." 

The elephants that could have proved the sticking point, with Mr Vaz appealing for local organisations to provide a home for the giant wooden animals. "A number of local groups, organisations and individuals contacted me offering a home for the elephants," he said.

The four life-size carvings will arrive on Monday, with two 24ft by 12ft giants arriving the following week after the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir temple, on Gipsy Lane, Shreeji Dham Haveli temple, Melton Road, and Leicester City Football Club agreed to look after the elephants.

The Mango Festival will take place from 3pm, with activities for all ages, including cooking with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, dancing with Bollywood choreographer Shiamak Davar and a visit by Bollywood movie art director and set designer Nitin Desai.

Dharmesh Lakhani, chairman of Belgrave Business Association, said: "It's taken a lot of hard work but the fact it's going ahead is thanks to the effort put in by Keith and everyone else involved.''

CROWDS JOIN CELEBRATIONS FOR KRISHNA

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Crowds join celebrations for Krishna

Chanting and dancing marked the birthday of supreme Hindu god Lord Krishna.

The birth of the deity, who lived about 5,000 years ago, was celebrated in dozens of temples and homes across the county at midnight last night.

At the new Shreeji Dham Haveli temple in Rushey Mead, Leicester, devotees prayed and fasted all day and then broke open a "matki" containing butter and milk as an offering to the god before breaking their fast with a feast.

Six-year-old Nandani Kachela, from the Belgrave area of Leicester, was among about 900 people who visited the temple yesterday.

She said: "The birthday of Lord Krishna is always fun and people chant and later we all go outside and have lots of nice food."

Kirit Shah, 54, of Stoneygate, Leicester, said: "It's the biggest day for us and it is very special to know this day is being celebrated all over the world and to feel part of such an important event."

Kalpna Gokani, 37, from Wigston, was at the temple with her three-year-old son, Rian, and her mother and aunt.

She said: "I come here often because there's lots going on and my mother and aunt practically live here. Last year, I celebrated this day at home, but it's lovely to be able to come here this year because it's a wonderful new temple. It's a place where you can feel at peace and a lovely space to come and celebrate this fun occasion."My son is very excited and it's a wonderful time for us – it is a very colourful and enjoyable celebration."

Nitin Saujani, a trustee of the temple, said Lord Krishna's birthday would be celebrated at temples and homes across Leicester.

He said: "This is the biggest day for us. Krishna is the supreme god in Hinduism.

"There are hundreds of gods but Krishna is the main one.

"Diwali is like our Christmas – it's the festival of light and a very big celebration – but this is the most important religious day."

The Shreeji Dham Haveli temple in Leicester is the biggest temple of the Haveli sect of Hinduism in Europe.

The differences between the Haveli sect and mainstream Hindus are so slight many who are not members of the sect still worship at the Rushey Mead temple.

The Haveli sect focus more on certain writings than other Hindus.

The temple, in Melton Road, Rushey Mead, used to be the Royale Cars showroom and the trust that now owns the building plans to add a library, computer room and dining area.

The latest census figures available show there were 41,000 Hindus living in Leicester in 2001.

WORSHIPPERS WELCOME INDIAN RELIGIOUS LEADER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Worshippers welcome Indian religious leader

Crowds gathered to welcome an Indian religious leader to Leicester for a weekend festival of worship and celebration.

His Divine Holiness Shree Dwarkeshlalji, head of the Hindu sect Pushti Marg (the Path of Grace), is in town to meet followers and lead them in prayer. He was greeted at the Sanatan Mandir, in Weymouth Street, Belgrave, yesterday, by worshippers dressed in traditional Indian dress offering garlands of flowers.

The three-day festival is to celebrate planning permission for a new temple – Shreeji Dham Haveli – and the launch of a £850,000 appeal to convert the former Royale Cars dealership building, in Melton Road.

Arvind Tanna, a director of Pushti Nidhi, the sect's UK charitable arm, said: "We are proud and blessed to receive the encouragement, support and guidance of our His Divine Holiness Shree Dwarkeshlalji.

"Pushti Marg has millions of followers throughout the world and about 1,000 here in Leicester.

"We have always dreamt of building a place of worship of our own and the dream is finally becoming a reality."

The temple will promote Pushti Marg through religious, cultural and social activities open to the whole community.

The festival concludes on Sunday. For more, e-mail: pushtinidhi@yahoo.co.uk