Why a horse mandi is significant at Maghi mela

Importance of Maghi Mela

This mela has been celebrated in the city of Muktsar in Punjab for centuries in memory of 40 Sikh warriors who were killed fighting the Mughals in the Battle of Khidrana in 1705. It was after this battle that Khidrana was named Muktsar, or the pool of liberation. The horse mandi has been a constant feature at the mela where the equines are exhibited.

Importance of horse mandis

Horse mandis are organised at several places in Punjab. This year , on Dussehra also, the horse mandi, organised every year in Amritsar was not organised. Similarly, in Jagraon also, the annual feature of horse mandi could not be held due to the disease. The horse breeders and stud owners bring their horses in these mandi for the horse lovers to buy these. Breeders from Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat also participate in these mandis.

Kinds of horses brought to mandis

A stud owner said that mostly Indian breeds are sold and bought in these mandis. The exotic species are usually not taken to these mandis. “It used to happen in the old days when the breeders and traders were dependent only on these mandis to buy and sell horses. Now, this is an era of networking. There are phones and social media. You can get in touch with the breeders for exotic breeds. Nobody wants to bring such expensive horses in mandis as they can contract infections and diseases. Currently also, the government may have lifted the ban on mandi but we are careful,” said a breeder. In these mandis usually horses like Punjab’s Nukra (white horse), Marwari (Rajasthan) and Majjuka line horses are taken to these mandis.

Price of horses

The price depends on the breed and the animal. “There cannot be a set price. Sometimes a Nukra horse is sold for Rs 2 lakh and sometimes for Rs 20 lakh. It is like that. So, in these mandis, the prices vary but they do go up in lakhs,” said a breeder.