BASAVANAGUDI:Thousands thronged the area around the Bull Temple in Basavanagudi on Sunday, which marked the first day of the annual Kadlekai Parishe. Many more are expected on Monday and Tuesday, the main days.
This year too, the excitement was palpable with hundreds of groundnut sellers and other vendors who lined up the road between the Bull Temple and the BMS Women’s College.
On the occasion, the first groundnut yield is offered to Basava, 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).
Groundnuts at the fair are being sold between `25 and `35 per litre. When asked about it, sellers told Express that the price of groundnuts has increased in the last three months. “There has been a lot of rainfall due to which, there was crop loss. Due to this, the demand for groundnuts has also gone up,” says Vasanthamma from Anekal.
Vendors reached the venue as early as 3 am on Sunday morning to set up their stalls. “Otherwise, it is impossible to make a good profit. It is very important to find the right place,” says Doreswamy.
Families galore
On Sunday, families were out in full force to buy groundnuts and savour snacks like bhajjis, pakodas and others. “The parishe is a delight.I am an amateur photographer too, and this is an opportunity for me to get good pictures. My daughter is having a great time,” said Dinesh Ramachandran, who had come all the way from Indiranagar.
No plastic
As part of an initiative of BMS College of Engineering to curb the use of plastic, cotton bags were being sold to vendors in small, medium and large sizes. Sagar Arora, a student of the college said that the initiative was started last year but did not get the necessary fillip. “However, this year, vendors are buying these bags from us in large numbers. This proves that everyone is becoming aware about the harmful effects of plastic, which is a good trend,” he said. While the small bags (pack of 100) are being sold at `20, the medium and large ones cost `30. In all, 2 lakh bags have been sold by the college on the first day itself.
Seethamma, who was selling gooseberry, told Express that on Saturday night, officials from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had visited the Parishe and seized all plastic bags.
“I lost plastic bags worth `500 without having sold anything. However, I am buying cotton bags from BMS College. I feel these are better bags. However, we should have been intimated by the authorities earlier, so that instead of buying plastic bags, we would have bought the cloth versions instead,” she said.