Basavanagudi in south Bangalore is known for having everything from Dodda Ganesha to Domino's and McDonalds to Gavi Gangadhareshwara, (where Lord Shiva's idol is placed in a cave) but when the last Monday of the lunar month of Karthika or the “Kade Karthika Somavara” arrives, a festival of groundnuts or ‘kadlekai parishe' is held every year.

The over 100-year old tradition allows farmers to sell groundnuts directly to the consumers and to businessmen without the intervention of the middlemen.

One of them who was selling groundnuts, was Mr Kaliappa from Hosur, who has been coming to Bangalore for the Kadalekai Parishe for the last seven years.

“Last year, I sold 45 bags, and this year, I have already sold 35 bags. I have bought 60 bags and I hope to finish it by tomorrow,” he told Business Line .

Each bag, he said, has around 62 kg of groundnuts for which he pays Rs 1,600, totalling to Rs 96,000 for 60 bags.

He said that he goes back with around Rs 1,12,000, a profit of around Rs 16,000.

But not everybody is so lucky. Ms Devamma from Maddur had come to the Kadalekai Parishe for the first time and she said that she had got just two bags and was having difficulty selling much.

On the other hand, Mr Mahadeva from Dharampuri, who has been participating in the festival for the past 10 years, said that business has improved in recent times and he is now selling around five bags compared with two or three bags he used to sell earlier.

Such people may come here more because of the tradition associated with offering the annual harvest of groundnuts to Basava, but people with leftovers also use this as a venue for selling stuff such as dolls that are traditionally used for Dussera.

Explained Mr Purushotam from Nagavara, “I make around Rs 30,000-40,000 here by selling dolls left over from Dussera.”

Ms Kumari, who was also from Nagavara and who too was selling dolls said that last year she sold dolls worth Rs 20,000 and made a profit of Rs 10,000.

But not everybody makes money during the festival. This correspondent spoke to executives working in Domino's, McDonalds, Reliance Fresh and Prestige and found that business for most of them during the Kadalekai Parishe was not very good because crowds were attracted by the festival and were not interested in anything else.

But most of them took it good naturedly and said that they didn't mind losing business for a few days in order to uphold an ancient tradition.

>balaji.n@thehindu.co.in

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