Village and community, Magura
Babukhali Horse Race and Fairবাবুখালীর ঘোড়দৌড় ও মেলা
- Time needed
- Half a day on race day.
- best months
- Jan
A horse race held at Babukhali in Mohammadpur on 16 Magh since about 1898, with a three-day fair of jari and sari songs around it.
At a glance
- When
- 16 Magh (late January)
- Since
- About 1898
- Fair
- Three days
About
Every year on 16 Magh, at the end of January, Babukhali in Mohammadpur holds a horse race, as it has since about 1898. The race draws a three-day fair, and the evenings bring jari and sari songs and other folk performances. The district counts this century-old race among its best-known traditions, alongside Katyayani Puja, boat races and stick-fighting.
Outside the fair there is little to see, so plan your trip around the date and confirm it locally, since the Bangla calendar day falls on a slightly different English date some years. Pair it with Raja Sitaram Ray's ruins in Mohammadpur town on the same day.
Getting there: Take a bus from Magura to Mohammadpur (about 25 km), then an easy-bike or van to Babukhali.
Things to do
- Watch the race and walk the fair.
- Stay for the jari and sari songs in the evening.
Good to know
- Keep well back from the course: the horses run close to the crowd.
- Confirm the date locally before you travel.
