BENGALURU: The star attraction at the three-day Krishi Mela was a big Gir bull . The breed is legendary, so much so, that over 300 farmers queued up to place orders for the bull’s semen.Meet Parameshwar , 7.5 years old, reared by Madhuban Farms in Arekere village near Kanakapura, around 70km from Bengaluru. The bull, which was stationed at the entrance of the Krishi Mela at Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra, drew hundreds of visitors and became the most photographed ‘celebrity’ at the mela.Parameshwar is from the Gir heritage, one of the best dairy breeds with a high milk production potential, and resistant to hot temperatures and tropical diseases. A Gir cow gives 15-20 litres of milk per day during peak milking phase, with a fat content of 4.5%. A Gir cow lives for about 15 years and can produce around 15 calves in its lifetime.Farmers were seen shooting questions at Madhuban Farms in-charge Suresh Poojary, to know more about Parameshwar. Poojary told TOI: “More than 300 farmers said they wanted to buy Parameshwar’s semen. Each semen straw costs Rs 1,200, and we have sold about 2,000 such straws in the past three years.”The bull was bought for Rs 24 lakh from a Rajasthan seller in 2015.Parameshwar weighs around 1,400kg, and is an impressive 14feet in length and 6.4feet tall. He consumes about 100-130kg of feed and 60 litres of water a day.

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