CATTLE FAIRS OF RURAL INDIA & ITS ROLE IN SUSTAINING ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Animals and birds play an important role in national economy.
Animal fairs in India provide an important platform to the farmers and traders for transaction of different livestock species. They also reflect the sociocultural life of rural India and attract a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. In spite of such importance of these cattle fairs, both the arrival and transaction of animals has been declining nowadays . Inadequate infrastructure for human as well as animals, difficulty in transportation, increasing marketing costs, inadequate feeds and fodder availability at the fairs and most importantly the recent ban imposed by NDA Govt. on bovine cattle from going to other states are the main reasons behind this decline. Therefore, improvement of infrastructure, extending frequent and cheap transportation like railway services during fairs, permission to buyers to leave immediately after the transaction, withdrawal of ban imposed on bovine cattle for taking to other states, supply of adequate feed and fodder in the fairs and establishment of an efficient market information system would help in reviving the popularity of these states level cattle fairs in the coming years.
The Directorate of Animal Husbandry of different states Government of India organised several state-level animal fairs every year in different parts of the states on the traditional dates (tithi) and months (mah) in accordance with the Hindu calendar . Besides these states level fairs, approximately 5000 animal fairs-cum-livestock exchange markets are also organised by the local bodies such as Municipality, Nagar Parishad, Panchayat Samiti and Gram Panchayats throughout India . Through these fairs, the heritage and culture of states are also projected to attract domestic and foreign tourists.
Farmers doing dairy farming in urban ,semi urban, nearby city and metros used to sell their unproductive animals in these cattle fairs and poor villagers take it on cheap rate , used to feed them with green fodders , converting them again in productive forms but after the inception of the strict transportation laws by the union govt. it has become impossible, which forced the livestock owners to spend more money and extra burden leading to unprofitable business.Those who are unable to bear the extra burden, they leave their unproductive animals as stray animal. this stray animal grazes the costly crops, damage them and in city it has become a major cause of accident. So the govt should review its stand on the transportation rules.
Animals are transacted as ‘per head’, ‘per pair’ and ‘per group’. However, the most widely accepted unit of sale is ‘per animal’. The ‘per group’ transaction is mostly followed by traders who sell or purchase animals in large number. Price is arrived at through direct negotiations between sellers and buyers. The government charges market fee/tax on per animal basis. These rates are kept lower as compared to those charged in the unorganised markets elsewhere in the country.
Some of the India’s largest and famous cattle fairs are as follows—
- Sonepur Cattle fair
Patna was an important city even before Alexander the Great was born. Under the name Pataliputra, it ruled the subcontinent from Madras to Kandahar. As capital of the Mauryan empire under Chandragupta, the city’s walls were crowned with 570 towers and defended by 9,000 war elephants. Those walls and towers are gone. One of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited places is now crowded,polluted and defamed by some corrupt politicians. But thanks to Chandragupta, who liked to buy his elephants near his capital, a market that started in his time still thrives today, i.e SONEPUR (HARIHAR NATH ) MELA.
Bihar is famous for the fair. Known as the largest cattle fair of Asia, it attracts visitors from every continent each year. The local people get some employment opportunity and the government earns good revenue from the event.
Cattle from Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states arrives in Sonepur. Sonepur is a town situated on the bank of river Gandak near Patna in Bihar. It is famous for largest cattle fair in India known as The Sonepur Mela held on the confluence of holy river Ganges and Gandak. Sonepur Cattle Fair is the biggest cattle fair of Asia held annually on Kartik Poornima in the month of November. Its the fair for the trade of animals such as Cattle, horses,goats,donkeys,camels,birds and elephants. Haathi Bazaar is the major attraction of Sonepur Mela, numerous elephants are beautifully decorated for the purpose of sale.
Every year the fair begins on the day of Kartik Purnima. The event formally begins at dawn with the offering of obeisance to Lord Harihar Nath (Lord Shiva) by a large number of visitors after a holy bath at the confluence of the Ganges and Gandak rivers.
Meanwhile, the local administration makes elaborate security arrangements near the bank of the Ganges as lakhs of devotees take holy dip on the occasion of Kartik Purnima.
Bihar’s Sonepur, also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela , is Asia’s largest cattle fair. The fair is organised on the bank of the Gangar river during Kartik Purnima, an aupicious time in Hindu calendar. Animals such as cattle, horses, goats, donkeys, camels, birds and elephants are traded at the fair. Among the animals, elephants are the star attraction as they are decorated and lined up to display in rows in an area known as the Haathi Bazaar (Elephant Market).
- Nagaur Cattle fair
During the months of January and February, the eight-day long Nagaur Cattle Fair is held in Nagur. It is the second biggest cattle fair in India. Nagaur, sandwiched between Bikaner and Jodhpur cities, is popularly known as land of fairs. The fair attracts lots of people from rural Rajasthan as well as cities. - Jhalawar Cattle Fair
Chandrabhaga Fair or Jhalawar Cattle Fair is held every year on the bank of Chandrabhaga River in Jhalawar district of Rajasthan. The fair is one of the most popular fairs celebrated on the last day of Karti Poornima. - Pushkar Cattle Fair
Pushkar cattle fair is popularly known as camel fair. It is held in Pushkar, a sacred town for the Hindus, situated 11 kms to the North- West of Ajmer in Rajasthan. The five-day fair is usually held between the months of October and November, a period also known as Kartik Shukal Ekadasi in the Hindu calendar. - Kolayat Cattle Fair
Kolayat cattle fair is the largest fair of Bikaner, in India’s desert state of Rajasthan. The fair is also known as Kapil Muni fair. Buffaloes, camels, horses and cattle are being traded, pilgrims bathe and float clay lanterns in the town’s lake. - Bateshwar Cattle fair
Bateshwar cattle fair or Bateshwar mela is held in Bateshwar which lies just about 70 kilometer from Agra (Uttar Pradesh). It has great significance in terms of religion and cattle trading. Every year the nine-day fair falls in between October and November, and it is organised on the bank of Yamuna river. - Gangapur Cattle Fair
Gangapur Cattle Fair takes place in Gangapur near the Bhilwara in Rajasthan. The place is situated on Bhilwara-Udaipur Road.
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
