As the annual Kadlekai Parishe is all set to take place in November in Basavanagudi, we speak to some old time Bangaloreans who tell us how the festival is changing.
November is that time of the year when the holy month of Karthik falls in the Hindu calendar. The last Monday of this month is when the annual groundnut festival, Kadlekai Parishe (translating to Groundnut Fair) happens in Bull Temple Road in Basavanagudi.
The origins of the Kadlekai Parishe goes back several years when the area of Basavanagudi was a village with groundnut farms. The story is that there was a bull that started eating and damaging the crop. There are two versions of what happened next. One was the farmers started chasing the bull that ran uphill and disappeared but the villagers saw a Nandi idol in place.
The second version is that the bull was chased and beaten to death and it became a stone Nandi – incidentally that was growing and needed an iron peg on its head to stop growing. This is now the famous Big Bull temple and houses a majestic Nandi that is 15 feet tall and 20 feet long. The farmers then started offering their first crop to Nandi or the Big Bull as a mark of respect and this tradition continues to date.
I spoke to some old time residents of Basavanagudi who shared their memories of this much loved festival and you can read the full story that first appeared in Our Bangalore dated Oct 26-Oct 31 here:
Simply beautiful and authentic
description of the past glory of KADLEKAI PARESHE by Bindu Gopal Rao illuminates our time faded memories of this pristine festival. Well done Bindu.
Thank you Uncle your words and memories made it what it is.
A very enjoyable read. Makes one see the familiar with new eyes. Will be attending this year’s Kadlekayi Parishe with renewed interest after reading your article Bindu ????
Yay thank you Bhamini, am very flattered.