Groundnut Festival in Bull Temple Road, Bangalore
It is not traffic jam but groundnut jam in the streets of Basavangudi in south Bangalore. The yearly Groundnut festival, locally known as Kadalekai Parishe, attracts young and old alike. It is a congregation of groundnut farmers on Bull Temple Road, Basvangudi. Streets are lined with heaps of unshelled peanuts and eager farmers wait to get their farm produce sold off. I didn’t know the groundnut shells can be of so many shades of brown!
No traffic is allowed on these streets for the 2 days the festival is held. There are heaps of raw unshelled groundnuts, roasted unshelled groundnuts, and boiled versions too. Then there are pushcarts selling shelled and boiled peanuts, sprinkled with pepper and salt, mixed with onions and lemon juice. While the wholesale dealers and retailers haggled with farmers, the local public flocked around these groundnut vendors.
Legend of Groundnut Festival
It is believed that the groundnut festival or the Kadalekai Parishe as called in local language Kannada, started in the year 1537AD. In those days several villages around this present Bangalore grew groundnuts and made their livelihood. However tragedy struck and their peanut fields were ravaged at night by a roving bull. It was no ordinary bull but Nandi Himself.
Nandi is Lord Shiva’s vehicle. So to please and calm Him down they began praying to Him. Nadaprabhu (landlord) Kempe Gowda dedicated a temple to the Big Bull (Dodda Basavaraj) atop a small hillock. They installed a huge statue of Nandi, the Bull (4m tall). That is how we have the Big Bull Temple in Basavanagar. Ever since then the farmers from all nearby places offer the first harvest of groundnuts to Him!
Every year the ritual of Tulabhara is done at the start of the festival. Tulabhara is an ancient Hindu practice in which a person is weighed against a commodity. In this case a special statue of Nandi is weighed against groundnuts. These groundnuts are then distributed as prasada (material substance of food that is a religious offering). This year too the ritual was done by the local political leaders.
Streets lined with heaps of groundnuts.
Timing of Kadalekai Parishe (Groundnut Festival)
There is no fixed date in a year when the festival is celebrated. The dates are decided according to lunar calendar and falls on last Monday of Kartika Masa, that is usually on late November or early December. Locals say consuming groundnuts from the first harvest that is offered to Bull Temple is auspicious and divine!
The groundnut festival Bangalore is for just 2 days. But for past few years locals have extended the festival by one more day. So 3 days of fun and frolic! It is such a joy to see that in this IT city of India such local faith is still accepted and practiced.
Groundnut Festival Bangalore
Festival not limited to Groundnuts
What makes this festival more fun for kids is that alongside these groundnut sellers there are several other vendors selling a wide range of stuffs. From candy to clothing, you name it and you will find it there. Thankfully the roads are lined with huge trees, so the atmosphere is pleasant.
Most sought after were the hawkers selling popular snacks like masala sprinkled puffed rice, cut seasonal fruits, the famous chilli bonda, sweets such as Jalebi and Mysorepaks. Young girls haggled over trinkets. And oh I saw a tattoo maker too! Here is a slideshow of the stuffs sold at the festival.
Tips to attend Groundnut Festival Bangalore
The only and most important tip is: please carry your own bags to this festival. Please don’t burden the farmers and vendors with the extra cost of packaging. With plastic ban on they have to provide paper packaging. There are reports on paper that they had to hike the groundnut prices in order to cater for these paper packets.
When is Kadalekai Parishe 2022?
Groundnut festival in Bangalore is set to start from November 21.
How to Reach Bull Temple Road
Metro is the easiest and quickest way to reach Bull Temple Road. You have to get down at National College Metro station, yellow line. And from there, it is one and half km, you can go walking or hire a tuktuk.
There is no fixed date in a year when the festival is celebrated. The dates are decided according to lunar calendar and falls on last Monday of Kartika Masa, that is usually on late November or early December. This duration is best for groundnut to eat . This is dry fruit for poor like me 🙂 . Very informative post Indrani ji ….
Wow, there is something like this, I was so not aware. I had spent four years in Bangalore.
This is the first time I am reading a post from you and I am really amazed and motivated by your travel stories. It refreshes the beautiful memories of my Bangalore days. I am looking forward to read more from you.
What is amazing is that despite being Indian, I have never heard of the groundnut festival! It sounds pretty cool and it is really nice that they don’t only have vendors selling groundnuts but other things as well, also keeping the children entertained. I would love this festival – imagine the smell of groundnut all around. I love groundnuts – and Indian festivals are so colorful, they’re always a pleasure to be a part of.
Nice to know about Tulabhadra. Did not see that the last time. Lovely pictures and description of the festival. And yes, I agree, the food here is just amazing.
Wow… love groundnuts… and a festival dedicated to them seems perfect. I have been stuck and getting bored in Bangalore since October yet I never knew about this! I hate myself!
It seems like a fun festival. It is so interesting that they don’t have a fixed date for a festival. Are the other shops open during the 3 days or it is a holiday?
Are groundnuts the same as peanuts then? I’ve never heard them called groundnuts before, but if they have a whole festival dedicated to them they must be a big deal! 🙂 Great tips about taking your own bag, I’m glad there is a plastic ban but hadn’t thought about how that would affect prices!
I have never heard of groundnuts or Basavangudi. Fascinating that the streets are closed for 2 days for the annual festival. So many different ways to eat groundnuts. Love these local festivals.
Interesting history and ritual. I always wonder what happens to the offering. It would be fun to browse the trinkets for souvenirs. I didn’t realize the shells are different shades of brown either.
India has so many fascinating festivals that you never get to hear about. I love reading about them. The nuts mixed with onions and lemon juice sound delicious.
Thanks for sharing another great aspect of life in India.
This sounds like a really fun festival and what a great way to celebrate and honor local customs. One question, are groundnuts the same as peanuts? We really had boiled peanuts and didn’t love them too much. Do you like them? This would be my kind of festival. Thanks for sharing about it.
I adore hearing about local festivals especially around food. It must be such a party after the initial offering. I’d love to stroll those vendors and would definitely bring my own bag.
I’ve only heard about the Kadlekai Parishe. Now I got to see it too. Thank you, Indrani.
Like you, I’m fascinated by the shades those shells come in. 🙂
Wow, what a really cool article. I love local traditions and festivals. I imagine peanuts are an important source of protein, especially for the vegetarians in the region. The origins of the Bull Temple is fascinating as well.
Nice photographs and nice report
Now this is interesting. An festival I never heard of before and its full of nuts? I love nuts and would love to check out this festival. Sounds like its right up my street.
You will love this festival if you love nuts 🙂
Whoa, the groundnut festival or the Kadalekai Parishe looks like a ton of fun! Growing up in New Orleans, we have a festival season where every weekend there is a minimum of 3 festivals from March 15 – December 1 every year. I bring this up because nearly one of the festivals that weekend is usually based around a particular food or ingredient that is important to that particular area of Louisiana. Though we don’t have a Peanunt/GroundNut festival here, we have a Pecan Festival which is always one of my favorites. So I bet I would absolutely love trying all the different food varieties based on the ground nuts! I cant wait to return to India and explore more of Bengaluru and if I can get there for the Full Moon Season in November maybe I can celebrate the groundnut festival or the Kadalekai Parishe!
So good to know of the local festivals in your place. This is one great way to say thanks to Mother Nature for blessing us with so many varieties of food.
Yes do plan your next visit to Bangalore, we can enjoy the festival together. 🙂
this is really interesting festival.I have never heard before.This really looks great way to speak to farmers and helping them 🙂
True! I feel such festivals should be encouraged more.
I absolutely love Bangalore! I went with a few friends as a part of our graduation trip and fell in love. The festival sounds very interesting!
Hope you can plan and time your next visit.
Wow, that sounds really interesting! And I think “groundnut traffic jam” is my new favorite phrase – how often do you get to say that there’s a traffic jam caused by nuts?
Ha ha yes… I experienced it.
Attending festivals is always so much fun. The culture, shopping and of course the food.
Yes, true. I love attending the local ones.
Ah this is so interesting! My husband was born close to Bangalore but he had no idea that this festival took place. I love the idea of having a festival about nuts!!
That is so good. May be you can plan your next visit.
That is a really interesting festival. Where I live we have a lot of festival for strawberries and oysters every year.
So good to know local produce are celebrated.
Interesting, Great to know about the Groundnut Festival.
Thanks Rupam. Glad you like it.