A congregation of thousands of animals and birds, the Sonepur Mela in
Bihar is popular as one of the largest cattle fairs in India. Though the venue of the festival is the small town of Sonepur in Bihar, it attracts thousands of buyers, tourists and traders and is at par with the famous
Pushkar Cattle Fair and
Nagaur Cattle Fair. Sonepur is a humble town in Northern Bihar, situated at the confluence of rivers Gandak and Ganga. Taking bath in the holy water of the
sangam is regarded as extremely lucky. In fact, the auspicouss day of Kartik Poornima falls during the festival and witnesses a large number of devotees. Stretching from a fortnight to a month sometimes, Sonepur Mela is organised every year in the month of November. Read on to know more about this Indian cattle fair.
Photo Credit: Flickr /' ranjan154
The origins of the fair date back to the times of Chandragupta Maurya when he used to buy elephants and horses from Bihar. Over the years, the fair has grown to become one of Asia’s largest cattle fair with a huge variety of animals put up for sale. From pigs and donkeys to horses, elephants and several birds, all can be bought here. Sonepur Mela is also known as the Harihar Kshetra Mela. The Harihar Nath Temple in Sonepur is believed to be built by Lord Ram and people come to pray here from far off places.
While other cattle fairs in the country are famous as trading centres for camels, cows and donkeys, Sonepur Mela is credited as the only fair in India where even elephants can be bought! A number of elephants, with colourful designs painted on them, are displayed at the famous Hathi Bazaar. Elephants are generally bought by zookeepers and for logging purposes. The bird fair is another major attraction of the fair. Thousands of colourful birds can be seen fluttering in their cages at the fair. While some buy them as pets, some trade them further. Watching these creatures of sky, caged is not an appealing sight for many. While at the fair, how about buying a bird and setting in free? – A noble deed isn’t it?
Another compelling sight at the fair is that of animals performing tricks to impress their audience. If you plan to visit the fair, be ready to be mesmerized by some cute performances by baby monkeys and puppies. Want to take back a puppy home? Go ahead; choose your pet pal at the fair.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia / Neelabh2007
For anyone who wants to get a glimpse of India’s great cultural diversity, the Sonepur Mela will provide ample opportunities. From cultural dance performances to popular Bhojpuri ones, the fair is synonymous with entertainment for locals. The fair was just a trade centre originally, but over the years it has become a grand event with games, competitions, cultural performances and even circus shows!
Sonepur is around 30 kilometres from Patna, across river Ganges. The best way to reach the fair is to take a
flight to Patna and then enjoy a boat ride across Ganga, to Sonepur. Alternatively you can also
board a train to Patna. For accommodation, do check-out the list of comfortable
hotels in Patna offered by MakeMyTrip.
