100 flavours, one bean: Karnataka's Avarebele Mela kicks off in style

Bengaluru: The 26th edition of Avarebele Mela kicked off on Saturday at the National College Grounds in Basavanagudi, with over 100 items on the menu.

Despite the afternoon heat, hundreds of people turned up to enjoy hyacinth bean delicacies — from akki roti to jamun, the bean took the form of various sweet and savoury dishes.

While the avarebele dosa remained a crowd favourite, drawing long queues throughout the day, a few experiments like Avarebele kunafa and momos also caught visitors’ attention.

For B R Vasudev Murthy, a farmer from Basantpalya in Magadi taluk, ragi mudde with Avarebele saaru remains the favourite. “There are hundreds of dishes on the menu here, but you can feel the true taste of the bean when you make the saaru and enjoy it with ragi mudde,” he said.

Murthy and other farmers from villages across Magadi have supplied the Avarebele for this year’s festival. At the event, the bean is priced at Rs 250 per kg.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who attended the mela in the afternoon, called Avarebele the “king of all beans” as he relished some Avarebele chaat.

Some of the interesting items on the menu include Avarebele jalebi, ice cream, soup, holige, and dry chaats. Unable to try everything in one day, several patrons said they planned to return to the mela over the weekend.

This year, Vasavi Condiments — which organises the annual mela — has introduced a priority lounge with an unlimited buffet priced at Rs 399.

Additionally, the event will feature live musical performances throughout the day. H20 The Band, All Ok, and Team Gahana are among the artists set to perform. The mela is on until January 4.