Avare Mela@25: A means to prevent food wastage turned into one of Bengaluru’s biggest food festivals 

Avarebele Mela was inaugurated by Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy on January 03, 2013.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

It was the year 1995 in Bengaluru when farmers from Magadi used to bring avarekayi and avare bele to sell them in the southern parts of the city. Almost 50% of what they used to bring would go to waste as the bean was not popular among the residents here.  

Noticing that the farmers were throwing the peeled beans (hidkid bele) away after wrapping up their business for the day, Geetha Shivakumar, a nearby resident, asked them to sell whatever was remaining to her so that she could make food items out of it. She made savouries out of avare and started selling it under the brand of Shree Vasavi Condiments. 

Five years later, in 2000, Ms. Shivakumar came up with the idea of organising a small mela with food items made of avare to benefit and celebrate the farmers from whom she had been shopping. Avare nippattu, chikki, mixture and avarekaalu saaru were some of the star dishes during the mela. And thus, Avare Mela, one of Bengaluru’s most awaited food events in recent times, was born.

The Mela has now hit a landmark with its 25th edition being organised from December 27, 2024, to January 5, 2025, at National College grounds. 

The first Avare Mela had around 10 dishes served and now for the 25th edition, a total of 125 dishes will be served. “We have this ritual where we add one new dish to the menu every year. With this being the 25th year, we have added 25 new dishes including avarekaalu mayonnaise, avarekaalu pasta and avarekaalu chocolate. We have a gourmet menu and a bakery menu all featuring avare,” shared Swathi. K. S., daughter of Ms. Shivakumar and organiser of the Mela.  

What started as a small event with four farmers has now grown into a massive event whose footfall was around four lakh in the previous edition with over 500 farmers providing avare.

Vasanna, a farmer from Magadi, was one of the first four and is still supplying the beans for the Mela. Travelling down memory lane, he said, “Back then people in Bengaluru did not know any recipes of avare except avarekaalu saaru. If we brought 100 seru (measuring devices) of avare bele, we would throw away almost 50 seru. Then our association with Vasavi Condiments started. A kg of avare bele used to be priced at ₹20 – 25 in the 2000s and now, the same quantity is selling at ₹250 – 300 per kg, almost 10 times more. While the quantity of avare bele used in the mela used to be around 300 – 500 kgs before, now it is in tonnes.” 

Over the years, the Mela was held around the popular food street in V. V. Puram until 2023 when it moved to National College Grounds owing to the growing crowd.

She added, “There is a lot of people who work behind the scenes to bring avare to the tables in Bengaluru. There is no chemical or machine to help with the peeling of avarekayi. Women do it in their houses and then it comes to the market. We want people to know about their efforts.”