Rs 15-crore horse, Rs 23-crore buffalo steal spotlight at Rajasthan's Pushkar Fair
Pushkar (PTI): A horse worth Rs 15 crore, a Rs 23-crore buffalo and a cow just 16 inches tall are the star attractions of the Pushkar Cattle Fair in Rajasthan, one of India's most prominent livestock fairs known for showcasing elite breeds and record-breaking valuation of animals.
Although the fair will start from October 30 and continue till November 5, livestock traders and enthusiasts have already started to gather at the site.
Of the more than 4,300 animals, including 3,028 horses and 1,306 camels, that have been registered for the fair, the centrepiece is a two-and-a-half-year-old stallion, Shahbaz, owned by Chandigarh-based breeder Gary Gill, which has drawn a massive crowd.
"Shahbaz has won multiple shows and comes from a prestigious lineage. His covering fee is Rs 2 lakh, and the asking price is Rs 15 crore," Gill said, adding that he has already received offers up to Rs 9 crore for the Marwari breed horse.
Another showstopper is 1,500-kg Anmol, a buffalo priced at Rs 23 crore. Its owner, Palmindra Gill, said the animal is "raised like royalty" and is fed milk, desi ghee, and dry fruits daily.
Joining the line-up is Rana, a buffalo from Ujjain valued at Rs 25 lakh and weighing 600 kg. The animal consumes food worth Rs 1,500 a day, including gram flour, eggs, oil, milk, ghee, and liver tonic.
Also at the fair is Badal, a veteran Marwari stallion and father of 285 colts, who has reportedly attracted offers of up to Rs 11 crore but remains unsold.
Adding a unique charm to the fair, Abhinav Tiwari from Jaipur's Bagru has brought over 15 cows of different breeds, including one that stands just 16 inches tall, believed to be among the smallest in the fair.
DSP (Ajmer Rural) Ramchandra Chaudhary said that this year, the Pushkar Fair will see a larger police deployment compared to previous years.
"More than 2,000 police personnel will be deployed during the fair. All officers have been briefed properly to ensure that visitors face no inconvenience," he said.
Rajasthan's Animal Husbandry Department has intensified monitoring to ensure the health and safety of the livestock arriving for trade at the fair, an official said.
The department's joint director, Sunil Ghiya, said dedicated checkpoints have been set up on routes being used by traders and herders to bring animals to the fair. "Every animal will be registered, examined by veterinary doctors, and tagged before entry," he said.
The officer noted that such precautions are essential as large gatherings of livestock increase the risk of communicable diseases. "The department has deployed veterinary teams and officials on a 24-hour duty schedule at the fairgrounds," Ghiya added.
He further said that animal records, particularly for camels, cows, buffaloes and horses, are being digitised as part of a larger initiative to ensure transparency and traceability in livestock management.
The fairground is abuzz with tourists and traders. Livestock trading and competitions like best milk producer, best horse breed, and best-dressed camel are underway, an official said.
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2nd WT20I: Shafali, spin trio do star turns in India''s seven-wicket win
Visakhapatnam (PTI): Shafali Verma hit a blistering unbeaten 69 as India made short work of a paltry target to outclass Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the second Women’s T20 International here on Tuesday.
India now lead the five-match series 2-0 after another one-sided victory, having restricted Sri Lanka to a modest 128 for 9 through a collective display of disciplined bowling from the spin trio of seasoned Sneh Rana, ably complemented by young spinners Vaishnavi Sharma and Shree Charani.
During the chase, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (14) fell cheaply but Shafali, enjoying new found confidence after a stellar show in the World Cup final, sent the bowlers on a leather-hunt during her 34-ball knock, winning it for her team in just 11.5 overs.
The hosts have now completed back-to-back successful chases within 15 overs which speaks volumes about the unit's sky-high confidence.
Shafali's innings had 11 punchy boundaries apart from a maximum.
The floodgates opened when left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera bowled a few flighted deliveries and Shafali would step out everytime to hit her over extra cover. Her footwork against slow bowlers was immaculate whether stepping out to loft the ball or rocking back to punch or pull.
Seeing her confidence, the newly appointed Delhi Capitals skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (26 off 15 balls) also attacked as the duo added 58 runs in just 4.3 overs.
By the time Rodrigues was out trying to hit one six too many, the match as a contest was over. Shafali completed her half-century off just 27 balls and completed the formalities in a jiffy.
Earlier, off-spinner Rana, who got a look-in after Deepti Sharma was ruled out due to fever, showed her utility keeping the Lankan batters under tight leash with figures of 1 for 11 in 4 overs, including a maiden which certainly is a rarity in T20 cricket.
Charani, who made an impression during India's ODI World Cup triumph, took 2 for 23 in her quota of overs, while Vaishnavi after an impressive debut in the opening encounter, finished with 2 for 32, not letting the Islanders get easy runs in her second spell.
The last six wickets fell for just 24 runs, but what stood out during India’s bowling effort was their superb ground fielding. After a patchy show in the previous game, the improved sharpness in the field resulted in three run-outs.
Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu (31 off 24 balls) looked in good nick as she deposited length deliveries from seamers Kranti Gaud and Arundhati Reddy over the ropes but it was Rana, who kept her quiet by repeatedly pitching on good length.
Unable to manoeuvre the strike and with the big hits suddenly drying up, Athapaththu chanced her arm at another delivery in which Rana had shortened the length slightly.
Not having transferred the weight into the lofted shot, Athapaththu's hoick was pouched cleanly by Amanjot Kaur at long-off.
This was after Athapaththu's opening partner Vishmi Gunaratne (1) had offered a simple return catch to Gaud.
Hasini Perera (22 off 28 balls) and Harshitha Samarawickrama (33 off 32 balls) did stitch a stand of 44 but they could never set the tempo against the Indian spin troika.
Once Hasini offered a tame return catch off a Charani full-toss, Sri Lankans never recovered and lost wickets in a heap towards the end.
