Nagpur: Brightly painted horns, glittering saddles, tinkling bells and tiny wooden wheels have transformed lanes in Mahal, Itwari, Lakadganj and other areas of city into a colourful cattle fair as Nagpur prepares to celebrate Pola. Wooden Nandis in red, yellow, blue and gold are lined up outside shops, while sellers make last-minute adjustments to their decorations. Children inspect the bulls, tug at their ropes and test their wheels as parents negotiate prices.Among the biggest attractions this year is a massive wooden Nandi displayed near Hari Hari Mandir in Lakadganj. Standing 7.5 feet tall and stretching eight feet in length, the handcrafted bull carries a price tag of 8 lakh and has already begun attracting enquiries from across the region.Its maker, Prasad Mokaddam, told TOI that nearly 5 lakh was spent on timber, labour and other material, while the Nandi took six months to complete. “We have priced it at 8 lakh and are receiving enquiries, but none of them are up to our price tag, and we don’t want to sell it without getting our desired price,” said Mokaddam, who hails from Ashti in Wardha district and is professionally involved in the cable network and furniture businesses.The familiar festive season this year, however, comes with a costlier tag this year. Shekhar Navne, who has been selling wooden bulls in old city for several years, said prices have risen across categories. Small bulls generally purchased for children are available from Rs 1,000 onwards and are decent in size, while bigger and more decorative varieties begin at 2,500 and go up to 10,000 and even above.“Everything has become expensive; even the smallest bulls cost at least Rs 200-400 more than last year. Depending on their size and workmanship, prices of some models have increased by even more than Rs 500, while bigger bulls may cost nearly 2,000 more.”Seller Atul Khadse attributed the increase to the steadily rising cost of timber and labour involved in carving, assembling and painting each bull. Decorative material, transport and finishing work have also become dearer.“Wood (timber) gets costlier every year for obvious reasons, and labour charges have also increased. That naturally reflects in the final price. Large, specially crafted bulls can very easily cost more than 1 lakh, going up to Rs 5 lakh and above as well, but small bulls remain the main attraction because families come every year to buy them for their children,” Khadse said.Bail Pola will be celebrated on Thursday, Sept 10, on Shravan Amavasya, which will mark the end of Shravan month as per Marathi calendar. Farmers will bathe and decorate their bullocks, worship them and offer them a day’s rest in gratitude for their role in agriculture. Tanha Pola, Nagpur’s children-centric celebration featuring wooden Nandis, will follow on Friday, Sept 11.Prices may be marching upward, but in Mahal’s festive lanes, the brightly decorated wooden herd and the excitement surrounding it continue to grow.
