Moi chhara cattle race festival by Kuntal Biswas 

16th July,2022

Every year, Herobhanga, 80 kilometres from Kolkata in South 24 Pargana district of West Bengal, organises a cattle race, locally called Moi-Chhara.

The race usually occurs in mid-June or early July, when farmers begin cultivation.

Once again this year farmers in a relatively unknown south Bengal village are busy organising a cattle race to celebrate the arrival of the monsoon.

The ‘game’ involves pairs of bulls racing against each other. There are red flags at the start and finish points. The bull that comes first wins. The competitors must follow the rules that the organising committee have to follow.

Usually, farmers who own the bulls become jockeys. The bovine is tied together by a piece of wood called Joyal, which helps them run simultaneously. Meanwhile, the jockey stands on another piece of wood called Moi.

The jockey is responsible for maintaining the speed of the bull. And those who have more experience have a better chance of finishing first.

The participants don’t just come from Herobhanga – many come from the three nearby blocks in Canning.

However, the race has also been criticised for being cruel to animals.