Unlimited fun and frolic

The large courtyard of Phoenix MarketCity, Whitefield, buzzed with activity over the weekend and experienced a melange of various games, food, shopping and music as the host of the ‘Deccan Herald Bengaluru Carnival’.

   Activities like bull ride, bouncy castles, spin art, sand art, balloon moulding and more proved to be perfect for the kids. The magician, jugglers and stiltwalkers also added a spark with their varied antics while the tarot card reader kept many a visitor occupied.

The highlight of the carnival, however, was the bustling flea market and the diverse food stalls offering delicious eats for all. From home decor, accessories, jewellery, paintings and art in every form to crochet, live pottery, craftwork, exotic teas and books, there was a wide range of merchandise to choose from.

The stall by ‘Kismet Sevice’ garnered much attention. Selling handcrafted wooden clocks, the owner Pankaj Parekh said that they are the sole importers of German cuckoo clocks in India and that it was his first display at a carnival. Online retailers and manufacturers ‘Woodgeek’ showcased a unique collection of bamboo notebooks, wooden phonecases and bamboo sunglasses.

Selling North-Eastern products sourced from Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram, ‘Chumthang’ had baskets made from water reed and a selection of fascinating handwoven clothes, silk sarees, cotton sarees, bedsheets, table runners, table cloths, cloth bags and shawls. Another interesting venture was ‘Spice Rush’ that brings spices from Byadgi, North Karnataka. “We grow these in our own farmlands with the support of more than 1500 farmers.

There are ready-to-eat chutney powders and pastes, without any preservatives. We have variants like ‘chana dal’, ‘red chilli’, ‘flaxseed’, ‘groundnut’, ‘methi’ and more that serve as great accompaniments for food,” said Abhishek, who runs it. The ‘Bookworm’ stall attracted book lovers with a number of bestsellers, rare classics and a good range of children’s books. Apart from that, there were stalls with paintings, puzzle lamps, glow in the dark t-shirts, handcrafted decor items and handmade soaps that caught the fancy of people.

Following a heavy dose of shopping or even before commencing with that, many were seen swarming the food stalls, devouring the sumptuous spread on offer. The homemade French food stall by Pierre had some ‘tartin’ (traditional homemade bread with veg, chicken or bacon), ‘gratin’ (potato base with baked veggies or chicken, and cheese) and ‘apple crumble with caramel sauce’ while ‘Karigar- The Taste of Mughals’ served Delhi style ‘chicken biryani’, ‘chicken korma’ and ‘rumali rotis’.

‘Box 8’ and ‘Lenile Ventures’ churned out some hearty sandwiches. An array of Lebanese food, Maharashtrian fare, anytime snacks on sticks, momos and Swiss chocolates and homemade cake also delighted the foodies. Meanwhile, even the burgeoning food trucks in the City like ‘Foodipa’, ‘As On Fire’, ‘The Rolling Chef’, ‘Wicked Chef’, ‘Gypsy Kitchen’ and ‘Icecream Buggy’ witnessed several takers as they whipped up mouthwatering grills, barbecues, icecreams, Chinese, North Indian and Mexican cuisines.

When it came to the music, the upcoming and established bands of Bengaluru did not fail to stir magic. On Saturday evening, there was a blues and jazz performance by Rudra and Ritwik while Ranjan Michael, solo artist from ‘The Troopers’, charmed everyone with some rock. Acoustic project ‘Scotch Tape’ also gave a wonderful performance followed by classic rock by ‘The Black Hats’ and rock by ‘Kingdom Come’. On Sunday, another set of bands set the stage on fire. Fusion Hindi band SaMcara gave a scintillating performance followed by some lovely acoustic music by ‘One Girl Three Strings’. Daniel Nikhail floored crowds as he played varied styles of music on the guitar and keyboard. Then there was classic rock by ‘Sid Jonathan and the Difference’, rock by ‘The Troopers’ and indie music by ‘The Imaginary News’.

Visitors to the carnival seemed to be having a fun time as they indulged in all it had to offer. Suhas and Suhana said, “It’s great fun here. The games, food and everything else looks promising.” Another visitor Neha remarked, “There’s a large variety of stalls here. My daughter Sanika enjoyed getting a tattoo painted on herself while I’ve purchased a colourful lamp to begin with. Am looking forward to relishing the food as well.”