Hyderabad: At a Sadar celebration in Moti Nagar held last week, three buffaloes stood at the centre of the festivities as residents gathered to watch them. Two belonged to local owners, and one was brought from outside. Held between 7 pm and 11 pm, the evening was, for the people who organise and take part, an expression of a tradition passed down through generations. But the growing scale of the celebrations raises questions about the care of the animals at their centre.
Sadar is traditionally observed around Diwali. The main gathering at Narayanguda took place on 10 November, two days after the festival of lights. The Telangana government has declared Sadar Sammelan a state festival. Celebrations now stretch well beyond the original window, with each locality hosting its own event in areas such as Moti Nagar, Nagole, Nimbolli Adda and Musheerabad.
“Earlier, it was celebrated for just two days. Now, the celebrations have been extended, with different communities organising events until the end of the month,” said a community organiser. “Initially, Sadar was a festival associated with the Yadav community. Now, people from other communities have also started celebrating it,” the organiser added.
For some families, the festival is bound up with their history. One organiser traced his family's involvement to his grandfather, Veerappa Yadav. “This festival has been a family tradition since my grandfather’s time,” he said.
“Earlier, we started by bringing smaller animals. Gradually, we began bringing bigger and more impressive buffaloes,” he added. Among the animals that have drawn attention this year are Bahubali, said to be from Haryana, and Bajrang, from Telangana. Organisers also spoke of animals being brought from Karnataka and Kerala to showcase different breeds and lineages.
Behind the display of large, well-groomed animals is a substantial financial commitment. Owners said a buffalo can cost Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh to buy, depending on its build and weight. But the purchase is only the beginning.
“I have been raising buffaloes for nearly 40 years,” said one owner, describing the time and resources involved.
“I spend around Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 every month on maintaining each buffalo,” he said. At that rate, keeping one animal costs roughly Rs 4.8 lakh to Rs 6 lakh a year. The figure is the owner's own estimate, not a standard cost applicable to every animal.
The money goes on everyday feed and care rather than show-day extravagance. The animals are fed grass, fodder, grains and other feed. Despite the attention given to their appearance, the owner said their diet does not include expensive additions such as grapes or almonds.
“We give them grass, fodder, grains and other feed. We do not feed them things such as grapes and almonds,” he said.
These animals are not sold. Owners said the returns come from other sources: they charge for breeding, and prize money won at competitions is put back into upkeep and breeding. Owners also bear veterinary costs themselves, with veterinarians visiting their farms periodically. The buffaloes generally stay at home and are brought out only for events. Preparing them for a public appearance can include getting them used to walking and being handled, a task shared by family members and caretakers. Some of the Moti Nagar buffaloes were estimated by their owners to be five to six years old, with an expected lifespan of about 12 years.
The star buffaloes from Haryana are a different matter. Organisers said they bear the cost of bringing these animals to Hyderabad.
For owners and organisers, then, the animals are a long-term investment of money, labour and pride. The question the festival raises is whether spending on feed, grooming and breeding amounts to welfare.
Care at the farm is only part of the picture. Moving buffaloes over long distances, unloading them at crowded venues and exposing them to unfamiliar surroundings can bring additional challenges. Organisers said a special vehicle was arranged to bring the animals from Haryana.
Dr Anil, a veterinarian with the Telangana government's Animal Husbandry Department, said transport can cause stress, particularly during loading and unloading.
“There is definitely a risk, particularly during loading and unloading, and during the journey itself. There is journey-related stress,” he said.
He said owners and caretakers need to watch the animals' condition after arrival, including whether they have water and feed. Differences in climate and temperature can affect animals that have travelled from other regions, and body temperature is one indicator that can be checked.
Noise and activity at a public celebration are another concern. Animals repeatedly exposed to such surroundings may become accustomed to them, but that does not necessarily mean they are free from stress.
“Even we humans get frightened. Why wouldn’t the animals?” Dr Anil said.
He also spoke about nose ropes, used to restrain and control buffaloes. Animals may get used to being handled this way, but excessive force can cause pain.
“If it is pulled forcefully, it can cause harm. Even we experience pain when something is pulled too hard. The animal experiences pain too,” he said. Because animals cannot tell people they are in discomfort, handlers must watch their behaviour closely.
Asked about veterinary supervision at events, Dr Anil said a veterinary officer should be present. “One veterinary officer should be there,” he said. He did not, however, confirm that such attendance is a statutory requirement for every Sadar celebration.
No veterinarian was visibly present during the period of observation at Moti Nagar. Owners said, however, that each of their animals is looked after by a veterinarian who visits the farm regularly, around once a month or whenever the need arises. Organisers said responsibilities for the programme had been assigned, with caretakers looking after the animals.
“Each animal has a caretaker who looks after it, ensures that it does not face any difficulty during the programme and takes responsibility for bringing it back safely,” a local organiser said.
The police said arrangements were made to manage traffic, prevent congestion and maintain law and order. An officer said instructions had been communicated to the organisers: “All the necessary guidelines have been communicated to the organisers.” The officer did not specify whether these included animal-welfare measures.
PETA India has raised concerns about how buffaloes are transported and displayed at Sadar celebrations. Khushboo Gupta, its Vice President of Policy, said welfare should be judged by looking beyond the food and grooming that owners provide.
“Animals experience good welfare when their needs are recognised and prioritised, above human desire for entertainment,” she said.
The organisation's concerns include long journeys, nose ropes, crowded surroundings, loud music, bright lights and rough handling. It has also objected to animals being made to stand on their hind legs or being positioned on top of one another for display. PETA said two buffaloes, Khali and Yuvraj 2, travelled approximately 1,700 km from Haryana to Hyderabad, a distance Telangana Today also reported in its coverage of the animals' arrival. Such journeys, PETA argues, can expose animals to exhaustion, dehydration, heat stress, injury and anxiety, particularly when loading, unloading and rest arrangements are inadequate. Sadar organisers and owners have not responded to the concerns raised by PETA.
PETA frames its argument around the internationally recognised Five Freedoms of animal welfare: freedom from hunger and thirst; discomfort; pain, injury and disease; fear and distress; and the freedom to express normal behaviour. By that yardstick, spending heavily on feed, grooming and breeding does not by itself show that an animal's welfare needs are being met.
PETA India's concerns extend beyond Sadar to several traditional events across the country in which animals are part of public celebrations or sporting competitions. These include Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, where participants attempt to hold on to running bulls; Kambala in coastal Karnataka, where pairs of buffaloes race through muddy fields; and bullock-cart races held in different parts of the country. The organisation has also raised concerns about practices such as Gaay Gohari in Madhya Pradesh, where devotees lie on the ground as decorated cattle walk over them.
The legal debate over animals in cultural events has been most visible in Jallikattu. The Supreme Court banned the bovine sports in a May 2014 verdict, but Tamil Nadu responded by amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in 2017 to allow the sport. PETA was among the petitioners who challenged the amendment. In May 2023, a five-judge Constitution Bench upheld the amendments made by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra allowing Jallikattu, Kambala and bullock-cart racing, finding that the amended law minimises cruelty to animals in these sports. That ruling dealt with those three sports and the laws governing them. Sadar is a display rather than a contest and was not part of the case.
Other livestock-centred festivals, such as Bail Pola, Mattu Pongal and Goru Bihu, focus on worshipping and honouring cattle rather than making them compete. These traditions differ considerably in purpose and in how animals take part, but they raise a shared question about how animal welfare is understood and protected during cultural celebrations.
“Traditions are not static. They change,” Gupta said.
For Sadar organisers and owners, the festival is a chance to celebrate their animals, family histories and community identity. The money invested in raising buffaloes, the role of caretakers and the pride of showing them are central to how participants see the event.
But responsibility for the animals does not end at the farm gate. It extends to how they are transported, restrained and handled, whether they have water and feed, and the surroundings in which they are displayed. Veterinary supervision at public gatherings deserves attention too.
As Sadar celebrations continue through November, the question is not only how the tradition can be sustained, but how the animals at its centre can be protected at every stage. The owners' investment and the organisers' commitment are an important part of the picture, and so is treating animal welfare as a responsibility throughout the celebrations.