Buffalo fight in Shimla attracts large audience

SHIMLA - People thronged to witness a traditional buffalo fight, which was organized to praise god Saturn and goddess Kali here recently.

The fair was organized by the Mashobra Bhadrakali temple committee to pay regards to the deity and to preserve the century old tradition.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shimla, J. S. Rana said that people should not term this tradition with animal cruelty.

“This is the identity of the culture and heritage. We should not compare this to other things like animal cruelty. This has certain parameters; the game is played under those parameters. We do not use any kind of intoxicants to provoke the animal; they play according to their nature. So, we should preserve the heritage and culture,” Rana said on Thursday.

One of the organisers of the buffalo fight said that people come from various villages and take part in the event.

“This is the history of this place. People from all over ten villages come here with their buffaloes on the auspicious day of Sair, this is the culture that we have been following,” said Balak Ram, an organiser.

The event has been carried out from centuries in which two buffaloes are made to lock horns and fight for the honour of an area, till one of them is pushed out of the field. By Hemant Chauhan (ANI)