Saturday, September 3, 2016

The Groundnut Festival

We are familiar with various types of festivals celebrated in our place. Festivals in India are very colourful. Celebrations are a big part of our tradition. So when I heard about this unique kind of festival celebrated near the Dodda Ganesha temple in Basavanagudi hillock of Bengaluru, I could not stop myself from attending it. The festival is called "Kadalakkayi Parishe" which literally translates into Groundnut Festival.



Like all other festivals and carnivals in our country, this celebration is also marked by makeshift shops selling colourful toys, bangles and cosmetics and also a lot of eatables. As the name signifies this is a festival of Groundnuts. This festival is celebrated to offer the annual yield of groundnut to Lord Basava (Lord Nandi-Bull god) the Vahana (mount) of Lord Shiva. Every festival has a mythical story behind it and this one is no different.

The story goes like this. It happened centuries ago. The groundnut farmers in this area noticed that someone was destroying their crops in the night. They launched an investigation. They found out something bizarre. They were shocked to find out that a bull was the culprit. In order to please Lord Basava and stop the bull from ruining their crops, they decided to offer the first yield of every year to Lord Basava. After this incident, a statue of Lord Nandi mysteriously appeared in their village. The villagers were stunned to find out that the statue was gradually growing in size. To stop it from growing enormously, the villagers drilled an iron nail on the top of its head. This nail is believed to be the Trishul that is found on the Nandi's head today.



Later , following the instruction of Kempe Gowda - the founder of Bengaluru, a temple was constructed for Lord Nandi in the year 1537 where the statue was found. The temple is known as the "Bull Temple" today. The statue of a bull inside this temple is considered to be the largest statue with its 15 feet height and 20 feet length. 


The festival is a two days celebration which starts on the last Monday of the "Karthick" month ( a month in Hindu calendar). During these two days, many farmers including those from the surrounding towns come in with their first yield of the year and offer it to Lord Nandi in the Bull temple. Later brisk business happens in the temple fair where farmers sell and buy the yield. Various types of groundnuts are sold here during this time. The festival is so famous that farmers from neighbouring states like TamilNadu and AndhraPradesh also participate in it. Lakhs of small lamps are lighted all around the temple marking the beginning of the festival.  There is no doubt that this festival presents a unique experience to anyone who becomes a part of it




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