User:Northernsta

Moichara is a festival which is primarily celebrate in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a cattle race which celebrates the harvest. Though this festival has over a 100-year-old history in different parts of Bengal, unable to keep pace with time,it is now on the verge of extinction. The primary purpose of this cattle race is to test the capacity of the bulls before the start of cultivation in the rainy season and increase the fertility of the land. Moichara usually takes place during late June or early July. Local farmers decide upon a paddy field, and they come from neighbouring villages with their bulls to race them in the waterlogged fields.

The bulls taking part in Moichara are meticulously reared for this wild racing event. They are left unbridled for a frenzied run, and the men with all their might run with them till the finishing line of the race through the paddy fields filled with water and mud up to 6 inches.The race is a relentless show of men’s physical strength in competition with the brutal force of bulls. The bulls are always restless and impatient. They drive the guides out of breath and pace. At times, they slide and get stuck in the mud. Men too slip in the mud while keeping pace with the animals.Earlier, the winners of the race were honoured with a new bull. However, nowadays, they are given prizes like motorcycles, almirah, furniture, etc.