Chandrabhaga cattle fair goes unnoticed

Unlike the famous "Pushkar Mela" that attracts a large number of visitors from across the country and abroad, the annual "Chandrabhaga Cattle Fair" in the Jhalrapatan (city of bells), 6 km from here, seems a tame affair.

The Chandrabhaga fair, held at the same time as "Pushkar Mela" in the month of Kartik (October-November), has escaped media glare and visitors' attention for long.

Not too many tourists were visible in the vicinity, let alone foreigners. While Puskar drew the crowd, Chandrabhaga awaited the arrival of tourists, who will only visit the fair after the former drew to a close.

But, now efforts are on to change this. "We are trying to upgrade the fair and bring it at par with the Pushkar Mela," Jhalawar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) V K Goyal said.

The Rajasthan government, he added, had plans to make the fair popular. "The fair, among 10 large cattle fairs of Rajasthan, has been long over-shadowed by the more glamorous Pushkar cattle fair. But now its time to change this," he said. "We propose to introduce a camel safari next year and hope that it will attract more visitors," he added.

The Chandrabhaga fair was held from November 4-6 this year, where both owners of cows, buffaloes, camels and horses as well as prospective buyers gathered to strike deals ranging from a few hundred rupees to Rs 1.5 lakh.

One of the striking features of the fair is that all deals are struck verbally. No receipts are issued and disputes, if any, are settled amicably by buyers and sellers.

"It is a matter of trust. All one needs to do is to undertake a survey before selecting any animal. Monetary deals are verbally finalised and no receipts are issued," said Ratan Lal, a buyer.

The fair, held on the foothills of Mukandra ranges in Rajasthan, offers a wide choice to buyers as far as price of animals is concerned.