Celebrated In :            Agra, Uttar Pradesh

Main Attraction :          Livestock Fair

Time of the festivity : October - November

Main Ritual :               Holy dip in River Yamuna

Introduction to the Bateshwar Fair : Festivals and Fairs provide us with the much needed break from our routine lives. They add color and brightness to our lives. It is a time when we come together and celebrate. In a country like India with a rich spiritual legacy, a large number of religious festivals are celebrated with a great deal of ardor and enthusiasm. These festivals generally come attached with their fairs. The Bateshwar Fair is held in Bateshwar at a distance of 70 km from Agra and is visited by a large number of people.

Description of the Bateshwar Fair : Bateshwar derives its name from the presiding deity of the place Bateshwar Mahadeo. There are 108 temples dedicated to various gods in Bateshwar.

70 kms away from Agra, Bateshwar is essentially a temple town, situated on the bank of the holy river Yamuna. The name Bateshwar appears to have been derived from Vateshwarnath, one of the many names of Lord Shiva who is the presiding diety of this pilgrim town. Flanked by the holy Yamuna, Bateshwar has a plethora of temples, once totalling to 101. Out of these 42 temples still stand here. The beauty of this pilgrim town is its long line of Ghats dotted with a series of temples. Some of the temples's ceilings still retain their beautiful original frescoes painted with traditional vegetable paints.

Bateshwar is a dusty town situated nearly 70 kilometers from downtown Agra. An otherwise sleepy town, Bateswar, an important spiritual and cultural center, comes to life in the month of November every year. It is when the annual cattle fair is held here. This enormous cattle fair is held at the banks of Yamuna in the 'Kartik' month of Hindu calendar. Nevertheless, the fair is not the only draw for the tourists. Apart from that there are as many as 108 temples of Shaivite sect at the banks of Yamuna. They offer the welcome break from the architectural monotony that the city of Agra offers.

Bateshwar is a dusty town situated nearly 70 kilometers from downtown Agra. An otherwise sleepy town, Bateswar, an important spiritual and cultural center, comes to life in the month of November every year. It is when the annual cattle fair is held here. This enormous cattle fair is held at the banks of Yamuna in the 'Kartik' month of Hindu calendar. Nevertheless, the fair is not the only draw for the tourists. Apart from that there are as many as 108 temples of Shaivite sect at the banks of Yamuna. They offer the welcome break from the architectural monotony that the city of Agra offers.

This month long festival is held annually during the month of November. Situated at a distance of 70 km. from Agra on the banks of river Yamuna, Bateshwar is an important spiritual and cultural centre.
The place is named after the presiding deity of the region, Bateshwar Mahadeo and has 108 temples dedicated to the gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. During the months of Oct. & Nov. a large fair is organised from Shashthi of Kartik month to Panchami of Agrahayan month. Devotees congregate here in large numbers to worship Lord Shiva and take holy dips in river Yamuna. A livestock fair is also organised and owners and buyers conduct serious business combined with the gaiety of a market place.

A particular period in the months of Kartik and Agrahayana according to the Hindu calendar is considered to be very auspicious. At this time of the year, a large number of people assemble at Bateshwar to take a dip in the sacred Yamuna River and offer their prayers to Lord Shiva. Then they visit the fair which is held with a lot of fanfare.

The most important feature of the Bateshwar fair is the live stock fair that is organized. Many people either sell or purchase animals. In addition to this there are a large number of other activities that are carried on as well. There is a festive merry feeling in the atmosphere. The ambience is very amiable and all are in a very cheerful mood.


Time for celebrating the Bateshwar Fair : The Bateshwar Fair begins on the day of Shashti in the month of Kartik and ends on Panchami in the month of Agrahayan. It corresponds to the months of October and November of the Gregorian calendar.