Cattle fair
A large periodic market where cattle are bought and sold, often alongside a religious festival.
Also: pashu mela, cattle market, tryst
Cattle fairs gather herders, farmers and traders, often once a year, to buy and sell cattle and other livestock. In India, famous fairs include the Pushkar fair in Rajasthan, the Nagaur fair, known for its Nagori bullocks, and the Sonepur fair in Bihar, at the meeting of the Ganges and the Gandak, held around Kartika Purnima. Many coincide with pilgrimages and festivals and include contests, music and stalls for ropes, bells and ornaments. In Europe the trysts of Scotland and the great fairs of Ireland and Wales were once central to the cattle trade. Weekly markets, called haats in India and Bangladesh, carry the trade through the year.