NEW DELHI, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- The village of Bhavgarh, some 400 miles west of the capital New Delhi wears a festive look every October. The village is the venue of the world's biggest and perhaps only fair where donkeys are traded.
Donkeys from all over south Asia are brought here to be sold. But this year the most sought-after commodity is missing -- the Kabul donkeys.
The U.S.-led strikes on Afghanistan have broken a five-century old tradition of Bhavgarh donkey fair. There are no Afghan donkeys this year. Not even their cousins from Pakistan have come to the fair.
Donkeys from Kabul were a regular feature at the fair, which is held over a dam along a reservoir outside the village.
"Donkeys bred in Afghanistan and Lahore have always been in great demand here," said Bhagwat Singh Rajawat, one of the organizers of the fair. "Donkeys bred in that region are said to be the finest in the world. I wish they could have come this year too."
According to Shamsher Singh, a donkey trader, Kabul donkeys fetched as high as Rs. 9000 (U.S. $200) each. "People come here looking for Kabul donkeys. They will be disappointed this year because there not a single one," Singh said.
"There are traders in Afghanistan and northern Pakistan who buy donkeys and bring them here. They always made lots of money," said Rajawat. "This year they could not make it because of the war."
The number of Kabul donkeys coming to fair has been declining over the years. The internal strife in Afghanistan and the escalating tension between India and Pakistan have certainly contributed to the dwindling numbers.
The donkey traders are pinning their hopes on the U.S. efforts to end terrorism to boost their business.
"We hope that by next year things will cool down and we will get Kabul donkeys here once again," said Singh.
