Shimla : The popular horse sale at the exotic Lavi trade fair in Himachal Pradesh’s Rampur Bushahr is already underway from Friday with a Chamurti horse selling for a whopping Rs 48,000 on the opening day .
The horse sale starts several days before the trade fair formally begins . Around 151 horses were registered on day one even as more horses will continue to trickle in every day , organisers told the Hill Post .
The most sought after is the rare and exotic Chamurti horse of upper Kinnaur and Spiti which fetches the highest price .
The Chamurti is a rather short and sturdy breed peculiar to the region . It is adapted to live in extreme cold . It is so sure footed that it can walk on icy paths with ease .
According to the last count there are over 17,000 Chamurti horses in the region . The state government has started a 23 hectare Chamurti breeding farm at Lari in Spiti .
The centuries old Lavi trade fair is held every year in the second week of November at Rampur Bushahr by the banks of the Sutlej river 130 km from Shimla .
In a 20 year career published widely. He has worked for the BBC, AFP, The Statesman, IANS and the Business Standard . Known for his hard hitting writing and occasional off-beat stories. He lives in Shimla.
