Overview
- Organisers reported nearly Rs 10 crore in cash transactions during the three-day event, with about 8,000 animals sold.
- More than 15,000 donkeys, mules and mares arrived in Chitrakoot from multiple Indian states as well as Nepal and Afghanistan.
- Celebrity-named animals such as “Salman,” “Shah Rukh,” and “Basanti” drew strong interest, a tradition that has seen prices reach up to Rs 1.85 lakh in past editions.
- Women were notably active as buyers and sellers, including a Bihar trader and her daughter-in-law who purchased 15 animals for brick-kiln work.
- Traders and organisers say demand has dipped with mechanisation, though donkeys are still prized for jobs in narrow lanes and hilly terrain.