A fortnight-long cattle fair got under way at the Sri Ramalingeshwara Kshetra at Avani in Mulbagal taluk of Kolar district on Wednesday.
The taluk administration and the Department of Animal Husbandry have made elaborate arrangements for the fair where hundreds of farmers from across the State sell and buy cattle.
The fair is so popular that it attracts people from far-flung areas like Haveri and Gangavathi in Karnataka as well as people from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The fair is part of the famous Sri Ramalingeshwara car festival held on Wednesday.
The Avani fair is one of the biggest cattle fairs in Karnataka. The cost of a pair of cattle ranges from a minimum of Rs. 50,000 to a maximum of Rs. 3.6 lakh. Though there was a slight slump in the number of cattle arriving at the fair owing to the foot and mouth disease which killed hundreds of cattle in the last two years, people’s spirits are still high.
Precautionary measures were taken to prevent spread of FMD at the fair. Two tubewells have been dug to supply water to the cattle. Water is also being supplied through tankers. KSRTC has arranged for additional buses from Mulbagal, Kolar and KGF depots so that people can participate in the fair and car festival.
