Shrinivasa.M@timesofindia.com
Feast with a pinch: Dasara Food Mela at Maharaja’s College Grounds remains a big draw for tourists, even as some complain of vendors charging exorbitantly
Mysuru: At Mysuru Dasara, food is proving a bigger draw than books. The food mela at Maharaja’s College Grounds is bustling with visitors from morning till night, while the book fair at Bharat Scouts and Guides Grounds, less than a kilometre away, is struggling to draw crowds.Even familiar delicacies at premium prices are finding plenty of takers, but books and literary events are yet to spark similar enthusiasm. The contrast offers a telling glimpse into Dasara visitors’ preferences, with the lure of food outpacing that of the written word.At Maharaja’s College Grounds, the aroma of food and the steady stream of visitors make the food mela a crowd-puller even before it opens at 11.30 am. Visitors begin arriving as early as 10 am and continue to throng the venue until around 10.30 pm.However, the popularity of the food mela has not spared it from criticism over prices. From donne biryani to North Karnataka’s traditional jowar roti meals, the stalls offer a familiar range of dishes, but visitors say there is little novelty to justify the premium rates.A North Karnataka jowar roti meal costs upwards of Rs 100, while pani puri, usually available for Rs 30 to Rs 35 outside, costs at least Rs 50 at the mela. Tender coconut juice is priced at Rs 80, against around Rs 50 outside.Stall owners cite higher price of raw materials and rental costs in setting up stalls to justify the price tags. Visitors, however, want the organisers to introduce a mechanism to prevent what they term as “overcharging”.“The concept of a food mela is becoming outdated. Most items available here can also be found outside at lower prices and bearing the same taste, often from the same producers,” said Krishna Kumar, a visitor.The book mela, meanwhile, presents a contrasting picture. On Thursday, an event at the fair attracted only around 20 visitors, highlighting the challenge of drawing readers.Three booksellers told TOI demand was largely confined to works by popular Kannada authors such as SL Bhyrappa, Poornachandra Tejaswi and Ravi Belagere. Only a few stalls were receiving a moderate response, they said.Publisher Abhiruchi Ganesh, however, said business was gradually picking up. Space for stalls is provided free of cost, with sellers needing to pay only a refundable deposit of Rs 1,000. Well-known publishers and govt publication wings are doing good business, he claimed.Ganesh suggested organising Kavigosthi and other literary programmes at the book fair venue could improve footfall.For now, food continues to hog the limelight at Dasara, leaving books to fight for a share of visitors’ attention.
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