The Chamurthi horse – often referred to as the “Ship of the cold desert”, will be the main attraction during the horse exhibition to be held from November 1 to November 3 at the International Lavi Mela, Rampur-2025.
To promote the breed, the district administration has invited breeders from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh to the exhibition. “For the first time the horse breeders from other states have been invited. Chamurthi horse is considered very popular in the hill states. To promote the breed, horse breeders from Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh are being invited to witness its unique qualities. They can also purchase it,” said Shimla deputy commissioner Anupam Kashyap.
Last year about 200 out of 314 horses were sold in the exhibition with majority of the buyers from Uttarakhand, mainly from Kedarnath and its adjoining areas during the mela.
Chamurthi is one of the six recognised breeds of Indian horses which can move safely on snow and can survive on low feed without any signs of fatigue.
Known for its stamina and strength, the Chamurthi horse stands 12-14 feet tall and can work in extreme cold, down to -30 degrees Celsius. It has been a part of the lifestyle for centuries in the snow-covered tribal districts of Lahaul, Spiti, and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, bordering China. This breed of horse is said to have originated in the Tibetan plateau, and was later brought to the remote areas of Lahaul- Spiti and Kinnaur by traders. The Chamurthi breed emerged by crossbreeding wild Tibetan horses with domestic ones. Currently, this breed is found primarily in the Pin Valley of the Spiti and the Bhava Valley of Kinnaur district.
{{/usCountry}}Known for its stamina and strength, the Chamurthi horse stands 12-14 feet tall and can work in extreme cold, down to -30 degrees Celsius. It has been a part of the lifestyle for centuries in the snow-covered tribal districts of Lahaul, Spiti, and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, bordering China. This breed of horse is said to have originated in the Tibetan plateau, and was later brought to the remote areas of Lahaul- Spiti and Kinnaur by traders. The Chamurthi breed emerged by crossbreeding wild Tibetan horses with domestic ones. Currently, this breed is found primarily in the Pin Valley of the Spiti and the Bhava Valley of Kinnaur district.
{{/usCountry}}Chamurthi horses were on verge of extinction and the state’s animal husbandry department established a horse breeding centre in Lari, Spiti Valley, in 2002. This led to an increase in its population.
Traders from the Pooh subdivision of Himachal’s Kinnaur have also been travelling to Tibet to import Chamurthi horses, but the trade is failing due to high demand there.
Deputy director in the animal husbandry department, Shimla district, Neeraj Mohan, said “The Chamurthi breed is a cold desert horse with the capacity to tread in the high altitude areas with less oxygen. The demand for these horses is there in Uttrakhand and Ladakh while the aim of inviting breeders from Punjab and Haryana is to generate awareness about the breed.”
The Lavi fair is being held in Rampur of Shimla district since mid-century but it got the official form of a trade fair when in 1911 Raja Kehar Singh of Bushahr state signed a trade treaty with the Tibetan government of a Tax free trade. Traders from Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti, Kullu and other areas of the state had to reach the Lavi fair on foot. The age-old Lavi fair was declared international in 1985 by chief minister Virbhadra Singh.