Myriad hues of a cattle fair

Every year in December, hundreds of acres of fields surrounding the Ghati Subramanya Temple in Doddaballapur taluk resonate with the tinkle of cowbells, even as thousands of oxen from different parts of South India gather in the place to be a part of the historical Ghati Subramanya Cattle Fair. The carnival, considered to be one of the biggest in South India, happens two or three weeks before the Ghati Subramanya Car Festival (Brahmarathotsava).

The temple is a popular pilgrimage centre attracting crowds from different parts of Karnataka and even from neighbouring states. The uniqueness of the temple is that one can see the idol of serpent god in the front, while a tactically-placed mirror reflects the back of the idol, which is engraved with the image of Lord Lakshminarasimha. The origin of the idol is unknown. The temple, surrounded by hillocks, was developed by the Ghorpade rulers of the Sandur province in the 18th century. Over the years, the pilgrimage centre has gained popularity and large numbers of devotees come here to offer prayers throughout the year.

The beginnings

Like the temple, the cattle fair also traces its history to the period of Ghorpade rulers. Popularly known as Ghati Subramanya Cattle Fair, the five-day annual event witnesses participation of farmers from many districts in Karnataka such as Davangere, Kalaburagi, Raichur, and neighbouring states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. By December, the harvest is over and the plain fields turn into festival grounds.

Even though farmers who come with their oxen are the major participants of this fair, one can also see many people visiting the fair to get a glimpse of the decorated oxen, and to enjoy the festive atmosphere. The basic idea of organising such a fair is to enable farmers to exchange or sell their oxen for agricultural purpose, so that they can get the ones that suit their requirements. Gradually, it has emerged as a mega social event centred around bullock trade.

There is another activity, a contest to judge the best bull in the gathering, that the participating farmers look forward to. It has been in practice since the early years of the fair, and farmers, specifically large landholders, ensure at leat one pair is raised and bred for this purpose. The pair is not even engaged in agricultural activities.

A committee set up by the temple assesses the bulls and judges the best one. This contest has become a passion and a  matter of prestige for many farmers. On the day, before the committee arrives, the oxen are decorated with flowers and other special accessories. For many, it is also a platform to display their wealth and they make it a point to place the oxen in bedecked pandals.

Just before the contest begins, the farmer’s family takes the oxen in a procession, accompanied by musical instruments, to the temple and offers puja. Though the contest is only symbolic without involving any prize money, the well-nourished ox fetches good money for its owner. Last year, one such ox was sold at a price of Rs 1.60 lakh.

The nourishment sessions for all the bullocks, that are meant for sale in the cattle fair, starts from Gouri-Ganesha festival itself. In the morning, they are fed a litre of haselle (a buttermilk-based drink). This is to improve the appetite of the animal. In the evening, a mix of soaked horse gram and bengal gram cakes are fed. Along with this, the bullocks are given banana and egg. Their grazing time (green fodder) is normally scheduled for two hours, from four to six, in the morning.

Oxen used for agricultural purposes are sold anywhere from Rs 35,000 to Rs 65,000. Normally, a young bull fit for farming activities, is the most sought-after at the cattle fair. Negotiations at the cattle fair are mostly non-verbal. Both the buyer and the seller sit across with a shawl draped across their hands, and both of them communicate through hand gestures.

“It is impossible to compare the dynamics of the fair of my father’s times and the one that happens now. Then we used to go to the fair in wooden carts, and, later in tyre carts, loaded with all the essentials for two weeks. There were not many hotels in the area. It was believed that only lazy people ate in restaurants,” laughs R Lakshminarayana Gowda, a farmer of Neralaghatta village in Doddaballapur taluk. In those days, neighbouring villagers hosted friends and relatives from other villages and served them food.

Festive atmosphere

Lakshminarayana recalls, “Ragi mudde and avare kalu curry combination was the preferred food. Every host would prepare it to serve the guests.” Even though there are religious guest shelters, people also pitch tents in the fields and stay there throughout the fair. Sourcing potable water for the consumption of humans and animals has been a challenge for the participants since the inception of the fair.

On all the days, the ground will be abuzz with activity. Many farmers will be busy feeding and decorating their bulls, making every effort to keep them comfortable and healthy. While prospective buyers go around inspecting the bulls, some buy accessories like bells and trinklets.

Farmers also observe how their counterparts from other regions treat their animals and try to follow the best practices. People also take pleasure in watching cultural programmes like drama, folk and devotional music in the evenings. All the activities at the cattle fair showcase an endearing bond between farmers and their animals.

In the past, bullocks and farming families used to congregate in an area of 500 acres. Decades ago, over 20,000 pairs of oxen used to congregate in the vast plain field turning it into a kaleidoscope of colours and cattle. Till the 1980s, the event lasted for two weeks. With the advent of modern agricultural implements, now the number has dropped to around 3,000 pairs. Consequently, though the fair lasts only for five days.

Unlike in the past, when individual farmers used to get required food and fodder in carts, farmers now group up and get fodder in tractors. Though villages in the neighbourhood raise crossbred cattle now, the ones that are brought here are mainly local breeds like Amrutamahal and Hallikar.

Whatever changes modernity has brought to the Ghati Subramanya Cattle Fair, it still retains its rustic charm and popularity.
(Translated by Anitha Pailoor)