The horse race at Brahmapur in Buxar during Maha Shivratri last year. Picture by Santosh Singh

Brahmapur (Buxar), March 10: As Maha Shivratri approaches each year, this sleepy town 135km west of Patna wakes up to a passion that the state capital forgot almost two centuries ago.

The air resonates with hundreds of hoof beats as horse owners, from the lowly cart driver to the stable-proud MLA, make a beeline for Brahmapur from places as far away as Agra, Faizabad and Ayodhya — even Rajasthan.

Here at the Kanya High School grounds, they pit their steed against one another in races watched by huge crowds. The incentive is not just the prizes —mementoes and Rs 10,000 in cash for the winner — but social prestige in a region replete with folklore about past royals and their prowess on horseback.

“Some 4-5 lakh people watch the horse races throughout the day,” said Markandey Singh, a rich local landlord who was just 20 when he started the annual event in 1967 by donating the school 30 bighas that make up the “racecourse”.

The Baba Brahmeshar Nath Horse Riding Competition, whose 47th edition will be held on March 13 this year, three days after Mahashivratri, marks the rebirth of the sport in the state.

In 1824, the Patna commissioner, a Briton named Metcalfe, had built the Lawn in the heart of the city, just off the Ganga, primarily to play golf. A year later, the colonial rulers set up a turf club for horse racing.

But the club failed to find patrons among local people although several Bengalis were inducted as members. What could have been one of the country’s oldest racecourses — the Royal Calcutta Turf Club too was set up in 1825 — died almost as soon as it was born.

A century on, the Lawn changed its name to Gandhi Maidan. But Brahmpur took up the reins. History was on its side: the town is just 17km west of Dumraon, whose former royals had several horses and elephants and organised races.

“I don’t take any financial help or look for sponsors,” said 66-year-old Markandey, who owns huge tracts of land and runs a construction business.

“During the event, we form an organising committee with several guests as members. We contribute to a common fund that pays for the event and the prizes, which are given away by the district magistrate and superintendent of police.”

A couple of days before the event, the spectators begin arriving. They come not just from neighbouring districts but from other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand. Some come from Patna.

“They all stay at the race venue itself,” said Brahmpur resident Daya Shanker.

Unlike the races in the metros, there’s no betting. Only two races are held — one “straight” and the other around a circular track. There are no professional jockeys.

“A horse cart driver from Allahabad won a few years ago. He told us he had only recently learnt about the race and had not prepared at all,” said Bharat Bhushan Singh, one of the organisers.

“The best thing is that we maintain optimum transparency,” Markandey said. “This can be seen in the selection of the five judges. No contestant can be a judge, each of whom comes from a different district to avoid any allegation of partiality.”

He cited an example: “A horse owned by Anant Singh, the Mokama MLA, won one year and lost the next year.”

Not all horses are eligible, though — only those priced at more than Rs 3 lakh can compete. “Many of the horses cost about Rs 5 lakh,” Bharat Bhushan said.

Six prizes are awarded but not all go to the top finishers: some are given to the most healthy horses. Organising committee member Ajit Pal Singh, a doctor from Dumraon who will field three of his horses this time, explained that the health criterion was introduced to encourage proper upkeep of the animals.

It was the participation and victory of horses owned by MLAs Anant Singh and Jay Kumar Singh (of Dinara in Rohtas) in the last few editions that boosted the event’s profile after years of relative obscurity.

Some regular participants too make the show more competitive. Ram Prasad of Agra city and Mohammed Faiz of Faizabad are almost constant fixtures.

As a warm-up to D-Day, the Late Ranjeet Singh Memorial Horse Riding Competition was organised at Badwara village in neighbouring Bhojpur district on Makar Sankranti in January. It was none other than “Baadal”, Anant Singh’s horse, that won the mini-race, turning itself into the favourite for the coveted crown this week.