A black donkey named after Chunky Panday sold for Rs 72,000, becoming the most expensive animal at the annual Chitrakoot Donkey Fair in Madhya Pradesh. And it made Chunky laugh out loud!
“Ha ha, faab. I’m flattered,” he told this writer. “Most animal fairs in India have animals named after actors. It’s marketing strategy. My mug shot is up at many barber shops for my trademark hairstyle. And there are dishes named after me, like Chunky Paneer Panday and Panday ka Pasta. It’s a blessing to be famous and always remembered. But now it’s time to collect royalty for the use of my name.”
While donkeys named after Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Mithun Chakraborty sold for under Rs 50,000 each at the fair, the one named Chunky Panday topped the bids due to its strong build and height.
Held annually around Diwali along the banks of the Mandakini River in Satna District, the fair attracts traders from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab. Local lore traces the market’s origins back to the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, when an army camp needed to replace ailing pack animals.
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