BANGALORE: “Quite a few reporters were already here this morning and I am sure you are here to ask me about the Kadlekai Parishe too,” laughs a busy Ganesh. “You should be here on Monday and Tuesday to experience the festive spirit in its true sense. This is nothing,” he adds as he tucked in a 100-rupee note from a customer. He came in early to set up his shop and catch the space right in front of the Bull Temple in Basavangudi.Kadlekai Parishe or groundnut fair is one of the oldest annual events in Bangalore, where the first groundnut yield is offered to Basavanna, the sacred bull and the mount of Lord Shiva, at the Bull Temple. The fair begins on the eve of Karthika Somawara (last Monday of Hindu month of Karthika) and lasts for three days. The first day is called the ‘chikka parishe’ (small fair) which is followed by the ‘dodda parishe’ (big fair).Thousands of people throng to the temple to pray but more importantly to shop for groundnuts and other colourful goods as the entire Basavanagudi area brightens up to welcome the visitors. The fair sees over 500 to 700 farmers and vendors who put up their stalls along the Bull Temple Road pavement, starting right from Ramakrishna Ashram. “The crowd is so heavy on the days of the fair, that you will not find space to drop a pin,” says Rajeshwari, who has been regularly selling her harvest of groundnuts here for the past 10 years. “We reserve places for ourselves about a week ahead of the fair itself, as every vendor is looking for space,” she adds. Residents however are not annoyed with the fact that their movements are curtailed during the course of the festival. “Even before the festival starts, the vendors start occupying the place in front of our gates. We are unable to take our vehicles out, especially our cars. But, it is a problem that we are happy to put up with, “ says Saritha Ramanujam, a resident of Basavangudi.The legendThere is a story behind this unusual festival. Legend has it that the Bull Temple area, which was earlier a village called Sunkenahalli, had groundnut fields. Someone regularly destroyed the crops before harvest. The farmers, little realising that it was Basava, the sacred bull, which had come there to keep a watch on the crops, killed it. The bull immediately turned into a stone on killing and the farmers decided to construct a temple around it to atone for their sin. However, they were shocked to see the stone bull grow and soon become taller than the walls of the temple. The farmers then decided to offer the first groundnut harvest to Basava at this shrine every year. Since then, the legend has it that the the bull stopped growing. The ritual however continues to this day.Street food There are many different kinds of groundnuts available for sale at Kadelekai Parishe. But, for those who like to eat it, the festival is a delight. From raw and poached to fried, the vendors have all kinds of groudnuts available for sale. The steamed groundnuts are garnished with flavours suiting the imagination of the public. From the usual mango, lemon and tamarind flavours to bhel chaats with groundnuts, it is all available there. But, Raju, who is selling his produce on a pushcart says that he is planning to introduce garlic-flavoured steamed groundnuts with a dash of salt for flavour. “It is good for health,” he says.The groundnut garland According to tradition, farmers heap their first produce in front of the deity. However, over the years, the number of people participating in the event and claiming a stake in putting their groundnuts increased. Hence, vendors say that they now garland the deity with a string of groundnuts.
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