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Coming up at the end of this month is Rajasthan's 2nd largest Cattle Fair at Nagaur. Celebrated with great enthusiasm and full of exciting events, the Fair attracts tourists from all over the world. Visitors have often said that the festivals of Rajasthan are so full of cultural beauty, colour and vigour, that given the chance, they would love to return every year.The Nagaur Cattle Fair is an annual festival celebrates the coming together of animals including horses, cows, bullocks, oxen and camels, adding up to more than two and half lakhs! Held in the historic town of Nagaur located between Bikaner and Jodhpur, every year traders and buyers, collect here to trade more than 75,000 camels, horses and bullocks. The Festival is spread over 4 days and offers a vast number of events to keep everyone entertained.In the mornings there are bullock races, cock fights, tug of war, while the evening offers visitors enjoy vibrant folk music and dance performances. Meals seated around bonfires with groups of folk singers and dancers are among the most unforgettable experiences that everyone takes home. There are many competitors for contests. Among the most sought after competitions are for turban tying, for the longest and best mustache, gymnastic stunts, jugglers, puppet shows and storytelling.The Nagaur Cattle Fair is also known as the Ramdeoji Cattle Fair, started 56 years ago when Maharaja Umed Singh invited Sufi saint Shri Ramdeoji to Nagaur to demonstrate his powers. People from around the town gathered at Nagaur to watch him and it is said that they were convinced about his supreme powers and insisted that he should stay in Nagaur. A Fort was built with massive walls around the existing dwellings and named - the Fort of the Hooded Cobra. Thereafter it became customary for them to visit him once a year, to pay their respects. Till today the day of the Fair coincides with the day Ramdeoji was born.This year the Fair is scheduled from January 30th till February 2nd, 2020. However, the fair can last even for 10 days. Visitors can expect the fair to open with sellers showing off their cattle. Each dealer is given a shed of his own and buyers walk around looking for the best buy. There will be stalls selling the vast variety of artifacts made in Rajasthan. Games and competitions of all kinds can be expected.By sunset most of the buyers would have left the fairground and the sellers stay on to guard their animals. The cultural programmes begin after sunset and music fills the air. Among the main attractions at the Fair is the Mirchi Bazaar, This is considered to be the largest chilli market of Asia. Contest for looks as well as attire among the animals, is the most popularly photographed activity. The handicraft exhibition is spread in stores around the fairground. Among the most popular items are camel leather accessories, wooden items, crafts made of iron and others.Visitors are welcome to stay back and enjoy themselves after the fair closes which is when the locals gather together to dance and sing. There are games to play and the stores are kept open for selling. It is also the right time to taste the local cuisine at the shops, including the rather rare camel milk delicacies! The finale every night is a spectacular burst of fireworks!(Shona Adhikari is a lifestyle and travel columnist)( With inputs from IANS )

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