BENGALURU: The iconic Kadalekai Parishe kicked off in Basavanagudi on Sunday after a two-year Covid-19 hiatus, with a special pooja at Sri Doddabasavanna temple in the morning and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai formally inaugurating the event in the evening.
The main attraction of the fair are the different varieties of groundnuts brought by farmers from across Karnataka and neighbouring states. Hundreds of stalls selling various items, from flowers to jewellery, food items and fruits, tattoos and artefacts set up along the Bull Temple Road attracted huge crowds.
The police made elaborate security arrangements and traffic police diverted vehicle movement from entering Bull Temple Road. Vinod, a flower and vase seller, has been coming to the groundnut fair for 15 years. “I like being here since I get good sales on these days. Last week, I was in Malleshwaram and I had a good amount of sales. I’m hoping to have more here since there are more crowds here.”
Sometimes morning sees less rush with crowd thronging the venue in the evening. This sometimes gets difficult to manage. There have been incidents of theft too, he said. While Saturday saw a huge turnout of students from nearby colleges, Sunday had more number of families.
“I prefer coming in the morning as the rush is less. I have been coming for the past five years. After the Covid, it will be an interesting sight to see. I usually buy groundnuts and try the food stalls,” said Manasi, a visitor. The roads at Basavanagudi were packed with people visiting the fair. There is a play area with rides which saw many children happy and excited to be part of the parishe.