Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh):Devan cattle fair, especially catering to the needs of animal lovers, commenced on October 18 in the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh. After the Sonepur cattle fair in Bihar and Pushkar in Rajasthan, the 'Barabanki Mela' is the third largest in the country. The main attraction of the Barabanki fair is the horses, put on display as well as for sale.
UP: Largest cattle fair for horses kickstarts at Barabanki Animals are brought to the fairground for sale from various parts of the country at the Devan cattle fair especially famous for different breeds of horses. The preparations for the Barabanki cattle fair commence one month in advance. Although various stalls dealing in home decor, furniture, artwork, and household items are put up at the fair ground, horses are the main attraction at the fair.
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Sachin Gawali, a cattle trader from Maharashtra, speaking to ETV Bharat said, "People from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab make a beeline to Devan fair for purchasing horses. Among all the three cattle fairs in the country, this one is the best, compared to the other two that is Sonepur in Bihar and Pushkar in Rajasthan. Farmers here also come to purchase a baby horse and after raising the animals, they resell them at the fair."
Elaborating further, Gawali said, "Suppose a baby horse is raised in Punjab and when grown up it is brought to the fair. Now, some other cattle trader will come and purchase it for reselling the animal to another place like Maharashtra. So a baby horse raised in Punjab after traveling to this fair in UP will finally enter Maharashtra where it will used for other purposes."
