This year, for the first time, the traditional nut festival was extended to five days. | Photo credit: File photo
The historic Kadalekai Parish, Bengaluru’s iconic annual nut fair has ended after five days with an estimated 12 million visitors, Transport and Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy said.
This year, for the first time, the traditional nut festival was extended to five days.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Reddy said, “According to police estimates, about three million people visited on Friday alone and nearly 12 million people participated over the five-day period. This year the event was held for five days instead of the usual two.”
Cleaning the drive
He added that since the festival will end on Friday, a massive cleaning drive will be launched on Friday evening and Saturday to clean the roads and the temple area.
“Daily cleaning was also carried out during the event. To express our gratitude to all the agencies that contributed to the success of the event, we will organize an appreciation function on Monday for officials from various departments, including the Greater Bengaluru Authority, Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Bescom and the police,” said Mr. Reddy.
Low value plastic
While Kadlekai Parish was expected to be a clean, plastic-free event this year, the five-day festival, which ended on November 21, produced around 105 tonnes of waste. This included 45 tonnes of wet waste, 40 tonnes of low-value plastics (LVP) and 20 tonnes of mixed waste.
In support of the environmental objectives of the event, the Muzrai department, in collaboration with NGOs, organized awareness campaigns urging traders and visitors to avoid plastic and use cloth bags instead.
However, the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) found visitors flouting the rules and took strict action against single-use plastics, registering 205 cases and imposing fines totaling ₹65,000. Furthermore, 250 kg of single-use plastic (SUP) items were secured during the inspections.
Published – 21 Nov 2025 23:30 IST
