When we first moved to Bangalore three years ago, we were quite awed by the malls and the glass facade IT buildings lining the road where we lived. We made up our minds not to like the city. This was not a place for us. But, we had to continue to live here. As time passed, we discovered the old, charming parts of the "booming metropolis". It had remnants of what we knew Bangalore once was "the garden city" in South India. There have been small and beautiful places and happenings within the city that have unveiled themselves gradually and finally made us feel like this is a city we like!
This week, I read in the news : “On the last Monday of Karthikamasa (a month in the Hindu Lunar calendar), the traditional Kadlekai Parishe, a two-day annual groundnut (peanut) fair will begin at Basavanagudi (Bull Temple road) and Groundnut growers from many neighbouring towns will be here”
This week, I read in the news : “On the last Monday of Karthikamasa (a month in the Hindu Lunar calendar), the traditional Kadlekai Parishe, a two-day annual groundnut (peanut) fair will begin at Basavanagudi (Bull Temple road) and Groundnut growers from many neighbouring towns will be here”Every year over 200 vendors come to the city of Bangalore offering for sale tonnes of groundnuts and other products such as puffed rice, colourful toys and so on. The entire stretch of Bull Temple road is pedestrianised for these two days, vehicular traffic is reorganised and security arrangements are made for the evenings as the excitement of the fair attracts visitors from all over.
I change my plans for the day and I’m at the Gandhi Bazaar by the afternoon. It is at the Ramakrishna Math circle that the fair starts. I begin to walk…
I couldn't believe that this was all happening in the heart of Bangalore city... a tradition that had to continue no matter how much the city contemporarised itself.
Read about:
Peanut festival in Bangalore
Udaipur City
Art in Urban Spaces
Fish market Mumbai
This post is part of the blog carnival 'Carnival of Cities' hosted at Sophie's World. - a carnival about cities from around the world. Do check it out!
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11 comments:
I missed this! Day before yesterday when I came back from work a little girl in my bldg was all dressed to go to the fair and invited me to join her and grandma however I was too tired and gave it a miss.
This is wonderful! are these roasted, boiled, or plain??? i love the wet groundnuts which arrive during the rains!
Anjali: I went there expecting a few groundnut vendors but the place was so alive! There were sellers offering toys, candy floss...the children were having such a good time!!
Anu: The heaps that are seen in the pictures here are the plain ones. There were also pushcart vendors selling the roasted or the boiled groundnuts in smaller quantities in case one wanted to eat as one shopped!
Wanted to tell you something that I just recollected. Back in Dec 1996 I was in Lucknow for a project for 15 days and happen to witness a similar scene. There would be moongphali ke chilke everwhere on the street and my boss at the time Mr. Singh would sigh aloud "yeh moongphali aur Vikram (10 seater auto) ne Lucknow ko barbad kar rakha hai varna shaher bahut achcha tha!" He sounded so hilarious to me coz he skirted blaming the govt there! However it was an amazing stay for me visiting the Jadbad zala and other markets and Imam vada and the dargahs. So much so when I think of winter I think of Lucknow and moongphali.
What a unique bazaar!
Anjali: Thanks for sharing the memories of Lucknow!
Radha: I've been so overwhelmed with it.
I've never seen so many groundnuts in one place! In fact, I've never seen a groundnut, for that mattter. Excellent photography!
Jason
Thanks, Jason.
Wow. Beautiful Pictures.
I had no idea that there was a groundnut fair happening in the heart of Bangalore. Lovely and very festive looking.
cool pictures, quite an interesting place
groundnut fair sounds quite unique! and that too in blore? i pass by ramakrishna math quite often but never ventured to check out gandhi bazaar. may be i should! thnx a lot for sharing the info and pictures.
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