BENGALURU: Kadalekai Parishe, the annual groundnut fair is back to the city but this year the prices have dropped drastically, according to vendors. On Saturday, the first day of the four-day festival, visitors from all around the city thronged the streets of Basavanagudi.
“Last year, I bought around 280 grams for `40, this year, it cost me `25. The taste is also better this year and I plan to return again for more,” said Sujata K, who works in a private college nearby.
A vendor explained that the groundnuts were majorly sourced directly from the farmers in a raw form and then sold raw as well as roasted. “This year, good rains in the groundnut growing regions have brought down the prices. It was `6000 for a sack last year but this year it has come down to `4000,”said Sreenivas, a vendor. He has been coming to the Parishe since his childhood. “I have been coming with my father since I was a kid. The enthusiasm of the crowd has been the same throughout, only the number of people has increased,” he added.
The festival has a strong following across the city and people often identify it as an important part of the city’s culture as well as a highlight in Bengaluru’s annual event calendar.
Visitors of all age groups attend the Parishe and many have made it a lifelong tradition as well. 70-year- old Gayathri said, “I have been coming here for a decade now and it only gets better every year. This time also it did not disappoint me.”
With many colleges and educational institutions nearby, the festival draws an equal amount of youngsters as well.
Groundnut farmers and sellers from all over the state and even from neighbouring states have arrived for the event, selling their fresh produce over the weekend. The streets around Bull temple of Basavangudi were teeming with people on Saturday.