Bullock cart races at midnight create chaos on highways in western UP | India News – Times of India

Meerut: As the midnight hour casts shadows over the national highway According to Garh Mukteshwar, an age-old tradition pushes modern boundaries and escalates from celebration to confrontation. Ox cart racesheld to celebrate this Kartik PurnimaWatch rival villages from across the region collide in a frenzy of speed and pride. During the day the fairground is teeming with pilgrims; At night they are interrupted by the drumming of hooves and the roar of bicycles as bullock carts speed down the national highway – illegal and often deadly.
Despite a police ban, these races go ahead, drawing crowds and disrupting traffic on what would otherwise be a sleepy road. Here, oxen are forced to race up to 40 km at speeds of up to 80 km per hour, goaded with sharp rods and pointed sticks that cause pain to propel them to the fastest pace. The stakes are high: organizers are fixing cash prizes of up to Rs 2.5 lakh, fueling fierce rivalry. For some it is about preserving village pride; for others, the prize money is worth the risk to life and limb – both human and animal.
“These breeds have been around for generations, but the aggression has never been so extreme,” says Madan Pal from Naanpur near Meerut. “They used to use wooden rods; now pointed sticks and spurs drive the animals along. Previously, connecting roads were used in the rural belt; now they have spread to national highways.” The consequences are tragic: exhausted bulls fall over mid-race and overturned carts injure bystanders who gather to cheer on their village champions.
For animal rights advocatesthe spectacle is a disgusting display of cruelty. “Pointed rods inserted into sensitive areas cause excruciating pain, making animals run faster,” said Anshumali Vashishth of Animal Care Society. “The constant running raises their blood pressure to dangerous levels. We often receive calls to rescue animals, but the aggression on these roads makes it difficult even to get there with an ambulance.”
In the meantime, the police remain on high alert, although enforcement is not an easy task. “We urge villagers to stop these races and have taken action against violators with a larger force deployed this year and on constant patrol,” said IG (Meerut Range) Nachiketa Jha. “Our vigilance is the only thing that keeps things from spiraling. Over the years, we have managed to curb this menace to a large extent,” Jha added.
However, villagers view the races as a test of endurance and honor, with organizers setting routes, pooling prize money and preparing the animals for months. “Our 28km race from Meerut to Hapur, which we completed in 1 hour and 28 minutes, was a matter of pride for the village,” said Kale Naval, whose village emerged victorious in the most intense competition of this year. “It was a huge event, with more than a thousand bicycles alongside.”
And in Bulandshahr the passion takes on a more personal pride. Villagers feed their bulls with a rich diet of ghee, milk and gram, preparing them for the grueling competition, even equipping them with horseshoes for traction. Pauli Singh, a proud owner of a champion bull, says, “Raja is the honor of our village. No other bull can match his speed.”