Legend, Nandi and a city’s nostalgia: Why Bengaluru still throngs to Kadalekayi Parishe
Basavanagudi’s Kadalekayi Parishe wrapped up after drawing massive crowds, blending folklore, history and food, but what keeps this tradition alive?
The traditional Kadalekayi Parishe, or groundnut festival, has returned to Basavanagudi, Bengaluru, attracting farmers, traders, and city residents alike. The annual event celebrates centuries-old rituals of offering to Nandi, the bull deity, with stalls overflowing with groundnuts in every imaginable form.
Legend has it that a bull once destroyed local groundnut crops. A repentant farmer struck the animal — which then turned to stone — prompting villagers to build a temple and vow their first groundnut harvest to the deity. This folk tale continues to shape the festival’s ritual heart.
Other legends
Senior columnist and Bengaluru historian Suresh Moona cautions that the bull legend may be just folklore. He suggests a more likely origin lies with Kempe Gowda I, the 16th-century founder of Bengaluru, who is credited with building shrines dedicated to Nandi, Ganesha, and Anjaneya near the area of the Bull Temple.
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Over time, the Parishe evolved from a local farmers’ event into a large-scale fair, with participants arriving from across Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Kadalekayi Parishe 2025
This year’s festival — held from November 17 to 21 — was extended due to heavy turnout. Its streets were packed with visitors, food stalls, cloth-bag vendors and rides, giving the Parishe a carnival-like feel.
“It’s wonderful to take the children around the fair … I enjoy the taste of the groundnuts,” says Prem Singhania, a visitor from Uttar Pradesh who has called Bengaluru home for 15 years.
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Stalls serving raw, roasted, boiled and semi-boiled groundnuts lined the lanes, mingling with the scent of sizzling jalebis and other street snacks.
Traditional vendors struggle
The spread has expanded, but many longtime traders note how the snack stalls now rival traditional vendors for attention. “Only people who know the tradition buy the peanuts,” says Soudharya, a groundnut trader, describing how casual visitors often head straight for snacks instead.
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At the same time, Karthik, another trader, points to the fair’s legacy: “My mother used to come … now I have taken over the business.” For many, the festival is more than a market — it’s a link to the past.
Eco-friendly Festival
The Muzrai Department, working with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), now organises the Parishe with a focus on sustainability. Vendors are encouraged to use cloth or paper bags, and fines are enforced for littering.
Some visitors praise the effort: “This is a great festival … it offers a feel of a village fair right within the city,” says Ananda Rao Madhyastha, a longtime resident of Bengaluru.
Despite growing in scale, the Kadalekayi Parishe remains rooted in community and heritage. “What began as a farmers’ offering … has grown into a major Bengaluru tradition".
The festival continues to bring together diverse strands of Karnataka’s social and cultural life — but as it grows, will it retain its folk spirit?
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