📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Suyash Dwivedi
Agriculture
Ujjain to Host 100-Year-Old Donkey Fair from Nov 21, Animals Named After Bollywood Stars
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 10 Nov 2026, 08:01 PM
👁 13
From 21 to 24 November, Ujjain will hold its century‑old traditional donkey fair where donkeys, mules and horses are bought and sold, many of them bearing names like Salman, Shah Rukh, Alia and Pushpa.
Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, will stage its historic donkey fair from November 21 to 24, marking a century of continuous celebration. The four‑day event, known locally as the "Gadhon Ka Mela," brings together traders and buyers from across the region to negotiate the sale of donkeys, mules and horses.
Organisers highlighted a quirky tradition that sets the fair apart: many of the animals are given celebrity-inspired names such as Salman, Shah Rukh, Alia and Pushpa. The naming practice, they say, adds a light‑hearted touch and helps buyers remember individual livestock.
The fair, which began around 1924, remains a vital marketplace for rural communities that rely on draft animals for agriculture and transport. Authorities have arranged basic amenities and security to ensure a smooth transaction environment.
Local officials expect the event to draw sizable crowds, boosting the town’s economy through ancillary sales of feed, equipment and food stalls. The fair also serves as a cultural showcase, preserving a unique facet of Madhya Pradesh’s rural heritage.
Visitors are advised to follow standard safety guidelines and respect animal welfare norms as the fair proceeds under the watch of veterinary officials.
Organisers highlighted a quirky tradition that sets the fair apart: many of the animals are given celebrity-inspired names such as Salman, Shah Rukh, Alia and Pushpa. The naming practice, they say, adds a light‑hearted touch and helps buyers remember individual livestock.
The fair, which began around 1924, remains a vital marketplace for rural communities that rely on draft animals for agriculture and transport. Authorities have arranged basic amenities and security to ensure a smooth transaction environment.
Local officials expect the event to draw sizable crowds, boosting the town’s economy through ancillary sales of feed, equipment and food stalls. The fair also serves as a cultural showcase, preserving a unique facet of Madhya Pradesh’s rural heritage.
Visitors are advised to follow standard safety guidelines and respect animal welfare norms as the fair proceeds under the watch of veterinary officials.