Скачать или смотреть Colourful cattle fair arrives in Nagaur

(10 Feb 2014) LEADIN:
Thousands of cattle owners from villages across India are gathering at the town of Nagaur to trade their livestock.
The dusty town in western Rajasthan comes alive with a riot of colour and sound, every year, early in February, as it hosts one of the largest cattle fairs in India.
STORYLINE:
Camels, cattle and horses - all prepped and ready for purchase.
Here at Nagaur's cattle fair, thousands of villagers from across the country have brought their livestock in the hope of a sale.
According to the organisers, more than 50-thousand bulls, camels, cows, buffalos and horses are traded here every year.
This eight-day-long fair is similar to the famous Pushkar Camel Fair - also in Rajasthan - but the range of animals traded here is much more diverse.
Almost every animal has been lavishly decorated and even their owners make an effort by donning colourful traditional attire and Rajasthani turbans.
Fifty-year-old camel trader Durga Lal has been coming to the fair for many years.
He says business is as good as usual.
"I have come to the Nagaur cattle fair and sold 13 camels, two are still left, for about 800,000 rupees (12,800 US dollars)," he says.
Another cattle seller, Ram Kishore, is a policeman by trade and a native of Nagaur.
Cattle trading is his family vocation, he says.
"I have made a total profit of around 350,000 Rupees (5,600 US dollars). I have been coming to this fair for many years," he says.
For these much-in-demand horses, the price is negotiated based on the animal's lineage and breed.
The highest price for a pedigree horse on sale at the fair is 1,000,000 rupees (16,000 US dollars).
According to traders, the price of cows and camels varies from 150,000 rupees (2,400 US dollars) to 500,000 rupees (8,000 US dollars).
The government in Rajasthan is attempting to promote fairs like this to foreign tourists who travel here to visit the state's many forests and desert festivals.
Dave and Louise Vernon, from the United States, are here on their first visit to India, and say they have enjoyed viewing the fair.
Cattle buyers, like 71-year-old Sonpal, is one of the hundreds of traders who buy cattle at the fair and then go on to sell them in neighbouring states such as Uttar Pradesh.
"I have bought cattle worth 1,150,000 (18,400 US dollars)," says Sonpal.
"After this I will go to UP (Uttar Pradesh state) to the village. I will sell the cattle that I have bought here in the village."
With a majority of Indians still dependent on agriculture and livestock farming, cattle fairs are a traditional method for trading and of community gatherings.
The fair also features stalls selling colourful cattle accessories, such as saddle-covers, whips and anklets.
At sunset, merchants sit around open fires, to rest after a day of wheeling and dealing.

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