Bateshwar Fair
| Year | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 9th to 15th November |
| 2024 | 23rd to 30th November |
Bateshwar Fair is one of the most popular festivals of Uttar Pradesh. Among the various fairs and festivals that are held in the state, the Bateshwar Fair tops the list in terms of its popularity. The Bateshwar Fair or the Bateshwar Mela is an annual festival that takes place in a small town called Bateshwar, which is also considered as the spiritual and cultural center of the state of Uttar Pradesh. This is a week-long festival, that starts on Shashti day and ends on Panchami in the months of Kartik and Agrahayana, which usually fall in the months of October or November of the English calendar. A tour to Uttar Pradesh during the Bateshwar Fair has its own unique charm as you get to explore the rich spiritual legacy of the state in a better way.
The Bateshwar fair is basically a cattle fair, which has become very popular worldwide in recent time. Tourists from different parts of the country and the world come here to see and enjoy the fair. The Bateshwar Fair 2023 dates are from 9th to 15th November and the Bateshwar Fair 2024 dates are from 23rd to 30th November. Plan a Bateshwar Fair, Bateshwar, Uttar Pradesh tour with the best inbound tour operator of India.
About the place Bateshwar
Bateshwar is a place named after Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is also referred as Bateshwar Mahadev. As per legends, Lord Shiva resides in this region and it is one of the oldest villages of India. Some also say that Bateshwar is the place where Lord Krishna’s mother Devaki was born. So, Bateshwar is always been a revered place and is a place of great significance for the Hindus. This small yet popular spiritual centre is located 70 km from Agra in Uttar Pradesh. There are 101 temples situated in Bateshwar on the banks of Yamuna and Shauripur, all dedicated to Lord Shiva. These temples give a majestic view of this village. Another focal point of attraction of this place is the extremely tall cliffs of clay found in the region. Another legend says that Bateshwar is also the birthplace of the 22nd Jain Tirthankar Nemichand. This makes it an important pilgrimage center for the Jains too. There are various beautiful Jain temples in Bateswar.
Highlights of the Bateshwar Fair
The fair is held at a time when it is considered to be very auspicious as per Hindu Calendar. The place Bateshwar becomes a pilgrimage center during this time when hundreds of devotees take a dip in River Yamuna and offer their prayers to Lord Shiva. After that, the devotees visit the fair which is held with lots of zeal and enthusiasm by the local people. The cattle fair is one of the most-sought after events for the people there. It is held every year in Baneshwar at the banks of Rivar Yamuna.
The mela looks very colourful. The whole ground is filled with hundreds of cattle – cows, buffaloes, including camels, elephants, goats and bullocks. All these animals are beautifully adorned with colourful clothes and jewellery and traders/owners from different parts of India bring them to the fair. The livestock is organized in a proper way and the objective is to connect with people who either sell or purchase livestock.
Besides the cattle fair, Bateshwar fair also have other fun activities for the visitors to enjoy. The whole ambience is of fun and merry making. Like in all melas, Bateshwar mela also has many stalls that organize games and fun activities, stalls selling various food items, big sized giant wheels, merry go rounds are there for the young and the old. Folk song and dance performances and other cultural programs enthral the crowd.
Not only cattle, the Bateshwar fair also opens up avenues for selling and buying rare species of birds and pets. The entire fair opens up a common platform for owners and buyers from all over the country.
The Bateshwar fair is open to all, and there are no entry fees, except that you have to pay something for setting up your stalls. Tourists from all over the world come over, and also sadhus, devotees, tradesmen from various parts of India. Special ceremonies are performed in the temples.
You will also find a good number of tradesmen selling traditional cooking utensils, Indian spices, locally handmade items and furniture, rural products, handicrafts and cosmetics. Earthenware, wooden toys in the shape of animal figurines and lacquer works are very popular items, and in great demand by the tourists.
The Bateshwar Fair gives a golden chance to explore the rural Indian life. It is one of the largest fairs held in Northern part of India and can be considered as similar to the Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan in terms of its grandeur.
Many tourists also make a tour to Chambal Sanctuary (just 10 Km from Bateshwar) where they can explore the natural, cultural and historical heritage of the Chambal Valley.
How to reach Bateshwar?
Reaching Bateshwar is very convenient. It is just a 2-hour drive from Agra and Agra is well connected from all parts of India by air, road or railways.
Experiencing the cattle fair in Bateshwar is a lifetime opportunity and is unique only to India. Book your tour to Bateshwar Fair, Bateshwar, Uttar Pradesh to explore the rich culture of the state. Best In bound Tour Operators in India offer various tour programs to make your tour to Bateshwar 2023 a memorable one during the Bateshwar Fair. This is one of the best tourist festivals in India to experience once in your lifetime. .
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