Kadalekai Parishe -2012 @Basavanagudi, BLR

When someone says "Basavanagudi",
only one thing flashes across a Bangalorean's mind..
The temple of the "Dodda Ganapati" and the temple of the
"Basava" which is one of its kind.

Basavanagudi literally translates into ''The Bull Temple''
It hosts the mighty bull that can cause anyone to tremble!!
There is a legend behind why the temple was built,
It was dedicated to the bull god by the farmer's guild.

Around Basavanagudi,long long ago before the city made its way,
The temple area was surrounded by many villages they say..
The farmers grew peanuts for their daily bread..
and waited in anticipation for the harvest day ahead..

But Alas, shattered was their dream of having a good harvest,
when a wild bull raged into their fields in it's peanut quest..
They tried to shoo it away with sticks and stone,
But the strong bull was not easily prone..

They then decided to pray to the almighty and seek refuge,
Their prayers were answered and they offered him the harvest huge..
The bull no longer troubled them, they lived without fear..
and hence came the tradition of offering the first crop each year..

The bull was honored with a temple and worshiped and revered,
The fair is celebrated in its honor and the story remembered!!

The fair this year was a breath of fresh air from the city's hustle-bustle,

With tons of peanuts everywhere and toys that make a whistle..

With sugar-candies, pop corns and spicy puffed rice abound,

It's a kid's dream to stuff all these and sit on the merry-go-round..

The place is abuzz after sun-set, with colorful lights, the games and the fun,

Colorful dolls, bangles and bells can make even the stingiest of all to buy one...

We saw small kids on their father's shoulders trying to see ahead,

with eager eyes they saw the toys, the games and the heart-shaped balloons red...

There was a vendor frying chips, another baking some corn,

There was one making soap bubbles, but the moment I caught them, popp! they were gone..

One sold  helicopter toys while another told our future,

One made tattoos for people  while another their caricature..

One made fresh sugarcane juices while another roasted hot dosas, but...

It is just not done if u have gone to the fair and not had baked peanut!

Mixed with some chilly powder, some salt and some lime,

He served us the hot baked peanuts in December's cold night time...

Packing some for home, we went back relishing the peanuts,

Not to return until 2013's Peanut Fair again makes us go nuts!!