Chamurthi horses give Rampur Bushahr a miss as Lavi Fair is postponed
A few animals brought to the fair initially were sold, the highest price tag being ₹65,000
Despite the International Lavi Fair in Rampur Bushahr, known for its horse exhibition, being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, more than a 100 horse merchants have arrived here hoping for good deals on the Chamurthi horses.
The exhibition is organised every year from November 4 to 8, with crores of rupees believed to be spent in trading of horses, the main attraction being the Chaumurti breed or the Spiti pony, a small, sturdy animal that’s mainly found in the Himalayas and in the state’s Spiti valley.
Very adaptable to high altitude journeys in snow-bound areas, the Chaumurti is known for its endurance to harsh terrain and is largely used by Tibetans, Spitians and Ladakhis for transportation and during wars.
Similar to the Tibetan breed, the Chaumurti is well muscled with a good bone structure, having slightly sloped shoulders and deep chest. It’s back is short, withers (ridge between the shoulder blades) low, legs short and sturdy and the backbone high and almost straight.
As the exhibition has been postponed officially, only a few horses that were brought in earlier were sold, the highest price tag being ₹65,000.
However, some traders have decided to wait, hoping for the arrival of horse sellers from Kinnaur and Spiti in a few days with the Chamurthi.
A regular visitor to the fair and Uttarakhand based merchant Brij Mani Gaur said he was unable to buy horses this year.
Not ready to go back, however, Gaur said he had decided to wait for a few more days for traders to come in from the higher reaches.
The Lavi Fair, organised every year from November 11 to 14 in Rampur Bushahr, is a major event and is believed to be linked to the signing of the trade treaty between the erstwhile Bushahr state and Tibet.
Handloom and woollen products, dry fruits, medicinal herbs and other goods are sold in the fair, where cultural programmes are also a big attraction.