<p>Bengaluru: The ninth edition of the Kadalekai Parishe in Malleswaram kicked off on Saturday, bringing in a vibrant crowd from across the city. It was inaugurated by Transport and Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy.</p> <p>Set up on the street by the Shri Kadu Malleshwara Swamy Temple in Malleswaram and organised by Kadu Malleswara Geleyara Balaga, the Parishe is on till November 10.</p> <p>This year, the fair donned a plastic-free look, as over one lakh paper and cloth bags were distributed to vendors to encourage them to adopt eco-friendly options. The minister urged all city-based organisations to follow the same plastic-free model in upcoming fairs.</p> <p>The fair saw about 400 stalls filled to the brim with not just groundnuts but various varieties of junk jewellery, toys, and snacks.</p> .Bengaluru: Malleswaram’s Kadalekai Parishe to go plastic-free this year.<p>During the Parishe, vendors often ditch their ‘regular’ jobs to make a quick buck. Many farmers travel from border towns in neighbouring states. Saravana, who runs a scrap business, has taken out five days to take part in the Parishe. “I usually set up a stall in Basavanagudi, and it rakes in good business. This is the first time I am taking part in the one taking place in Malleswaram,” he said.</p> <p>While the festival officially kicked off on Saturday, most vendors set up shop on Thursday. “If you wanted to secure a spot, you had to come on Thursday. Sadly, Thursday and Friday didn’t see much business, but we’re hoping the crowd will pick up over the weekend,” said Devi, a vendor from Salem.</p> <p>The vendors hoped that one day soon, the Malleswaram Kadlekai Parishe too would become as popular as the one in Basavanagudi, roping in a bigger crowd. Most vendors get their stock from Dharmapuri. All varieties of peanuts — raw, roasted, salted, boiled — can be found at the festival. The three-pod-long groundnuts remain the most popular among customers.</p> <p>Gayatri, a Hyderabad resident, ended up at the fair by chance. “My family and I are in Bengaluru just for a weekend trip to visit family. After reaching here is when we got to know about the Parishe and were excited that we’d get to visit it. We’ve purchased multiple bags of groundnuts to take back home,” she told DH.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The ninth edition of the Kadalekai Parishe in Malleswaram kicked off on Saturday, bringing in a vibrant crowd from across the city. It was inaugurated by Transport and Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy.</p> <p>Set up on the street by the Shri Kadu Malleshwara Swamy Temple in Malleswaram and organised by Kadu Malleswara Geleyara Balaga, the Parishe is on till November 10.</p> <p>This year, the fair donned a plastic-free look, as over one lakh paper and cloth bags were distributed to vendors to encourage them to adopt eco-friendly options. The minister urged all city-based organisations to follow the same plastic-free model in upcoming fairs.</p> <p>The fair saw about 400 stalls filled to the brim with not just groundnuts but various varieties of junk jewellery, toys, and snacks.</p> .Bengaluru: Malleswaram’s Kadalekai Parishe to go plastic-free this year.<p>During the Parishe, vendors often ditch their ‘regular’ jobs to make a quick buck. Many farmers travel from border towns in neighbouring states. Saravana, who runs a scrap business, has taken out five days to take part in the Parishe. “I usually set up a stall in Basavanagudi, and it rakes in good business. This is the first time I am taking part in the one taking place in Malleswaram,” he said.</p> <p>While the festival officially kicked off on Saturday, most vendors set up shop on Thursday. “If you wanted to secure a spot, you had to come on Thursday. Sadly, Thursday and Friday didn’t see much business, but we’re hoping the crowd will pick up over the weekend,” said Devi, a vendor from Salem.</p> <p>The vendors hoped that one day soon, the Malleswaram Kadlekai Parishe too would become as popular as the one in Basavanagudi, roping in a bigger crowd. Most vendors get their stock from Dharmapuri. All varieties of peanuts — raw, roasted, salted, boiled — can be found at the festival. The three-pod-long groundnuts remain the most popular among customers.</p> <p>Gayatri, a Hyderabad resident, ended up at the fair by chance. “My family and I are in Bengaluru just for a weekend trip to visit family. After reaching here is when we got to know about the Parishe and were excited that we’d get to visit it. We’ve purchased multiple bags of groundnuts to take back home,” she told DH.</p>