Kadlekai Parishe, the iconic groundnut fair held near the famous Bull Temple in Basavanagudi, will likely take place this year as Covid cases drop drastically.
Government authorities, including the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department, have given the go-ahead to the annual fair, provided the Covid-appropriate behaviour is adhered to.
During the three-day fair, traditionally held on the last Monday of the Hindu month of Karthika, numerous stalls selling groundnut, snacks, traditional toys, bangles and toys are set up along the Bull Temple Road, drawing lakhs of visitors. But 2020 was the first time in the fair’s 480-year history that it wasn’t held, in view of Covid restrictions. It was restricted to the temple premises in a symbolic gesture.
The year 2021 will not be a repeat of the year 2020.
The temple board is planning to hold the festival over the usual three days but the scale of the fair will be decided only in the next two or three days. A decision is also pending on allowing groundnut farmers and vendors to set up stalls along Bull Temple Road.
Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya said: “The BBMP has given the green signal as Covid cases have come down considerably in Bengaluru. We are still holding talks with the police, Bescom, health and other departments seeking their cooperation.”
Officials say a large number of police personnel and home guards will be required to be deployed for the fair, working three shifts a day.
Covid-appropriate behaviour
BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that while restrictions on cultural and traditional activities had been withdrawn, adherence to the Covid-appropriate behaviour was non-negotiable.
The BBMP’s zonal joint commissioner will hold a meeting with the fair organisers to take a final decision, he added.
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Published 10 November 2021, 19:16 IST