Avarakai mela is an annual festival of beans held at V V Puram (also called Food Steet) in South Bengaluru usually in December-January. It didn't happen this year for obvious reasons.
During this festival, you get not only fresh beans from the farms but also many dishes that are made from avarakai, which is rich in fibre and proteins.
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| Source: The Hindu |
The festival was started in 2001 by the owners of Vasavi Condiments. At first, this gathering was only for the employees of the company. Later, it grew into a much popular festival.
It's during December-January that there is a surplus of avarakai. Farmers aren't always able to sell all of their produce, leading to wastage. The festival originally came up as a solution for the problem the farmers faced -- an occasion to showcase fresh farm-fresh avarakai and also those yummy dishes.
This popular gathering lasts nearly a month, around 200,000 people visit annually.
By the way, the city is said to have got its name from "boiled beans". The legend has it that sometime in the 11th century, a king lost his way, and a woman served him boiled pulses. The king referred to the place as "benda-kaal-ooru" or town of boiled beans. That metamorphosed over time to Bengalooru and then Bengaluru.
References:
Avarekai anecdotes -- The Hindu
Bangalore's Avarekai Festival - Explocity
In Bengaluru, an ode to broad beans at the Avarekai Mela -- Indian Express