On the last Monday of the Hindu month of Kartik, which coincided with December 11 this year, the Bull Temple in Bengaluru's Basavanagudi witnessed a vibrant celebration as hundreds of farmers from surrounding rural areas gathered for the annual Kadlekai Parishe, or peanut fair.
The 16th-century temple, dedicated to dodda basava (big bull), served as the focal point for the festivities. Farmers arrived carrying large jute sacks filled with their freshly harvested peanut crops. After making offerings to the revered bull, the remaining peanuts were prominently displayed in piles on the pavements and roads surrounding the temple, marking the commencement of the three-day festival.
The roots of the nearly 500-year-old Kadlekai Parishe trace back to a local legend. According to one version, farmers constructed the temple to appease a bull that had wreaked havoc on their crops. Another version narrates that the bull itself transformed into stone, and the temple was subsequently built around it. Regardless of the interpretation, the farmers continue the tradition, ensuring that the bull receives the first share of their peanut harvest during the annual Kadlekai Parishe. Farmers from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh offer their annual harvest as a tribute
The festival transformed the temple's vicinity into a bustling market, with roads closed to traffic to accommodate the influx of locals eager to purchase unshelled peanuts directly from the farmers. The peanuts were also available in various prepared forms, including boiled, roasted, or salted. Under the shade of towering trees, roadside vendors enticed visitors with a diverse array of snacks, such as puffed rice, fried bonda (potato), bhaji, pineapple slices, cucumber, raw mango, sugarcane juice, and traditional sweets like jalebi and Mysore paks.
The ambiance was further enlivened by vendors selling balloons and candy floss tied to long poles, while pavement stalls offered an assortment of goods, including glass bangles, plastic trinkets, pictures of Hindu divinities, and terracotta pots.
Devyaani, a peanut vendor hailing from Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu said, "We've been participating in this event for 15 years. Our stay lasts for 10 days during which we focus on generating sales. Unfortunately, our sales were lower last year. We eagerly anticipate this festival as it holds the potential to boost our sales."