By Brij Khandelwal, IANS,
Bateshwar (Uttar Pradesh) : The Mughals, Marathas and the British once frequented it to purchase animals for their armies. One of the biggest and oldest animal fairs in northern India, the Bateshwar cattle fair still attracts hundreds of buyers, particularly those looking for quality horse and camel breeds.
The annual fortnight-long event, which started two days after Diwali, has also been a big attraction for tourists, particularly foreigners, who have rarely seen so many camels and horses in one place. Bateshwar is 65 km from Agra.
In just 10 days, hundreds of animals have been sold.
“Two mares bought by a Punjab farmer and another by a buyer from Maharashtra fetched Rs.2.5 lakh and Rs.3 lakh. Another man bought 25 horses for his stud farm,” said Nandu, a stall keeper.
Each year buyers from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan come to buy horses, camels and other animals.
The birthplace of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Bateshwar is famous for its 101 Shiva temples in a row along the river Yamuna which takes an unusual U-turn in the area.
The whole area between Yamuna and Chambal was once a dreaded bandit territory. Though the tradition of dacoits offering huge brass and copper bells or ‘ghantas’ at Shiva temples has come to an end, tales of the exploits of bandits like Man Singh, Roopa Pandit and others are still heard with rapt attention.
In the past couple of days, the fair has seen several incidents involving anti-social elements. Reports also say over 25 dealers and buyers have become victims of poisoning.
But it still beckons. This year, a large number of tourists from European countries are visiting Bateshwar.
Ram Pratap Singh, who took the initiative of starting adventure tourism through his popular Chambal Safari, said foreign tourists are enjoying the “wilderness and the raw ambience of the whole area, with its rugged terrain, the migratory birds on the Chambal river banks”.
“Many are fascinated by the 101 Shiva temples, a really breathtaking sight along the river banks,” he said.