Sonepur Mela: The biggest Cattle Fair of Asia

The Sonepur Cattle Fair or Malegaon Mela is the biggest cattle fair of Asia and stretches on from thirty days. The mela is held on Kartik Poornima in the month of November in Sonepur on the confluence of river Ganges and Gandak.It attracts visitors from all over Asia. The cattle fair traces its origin from ancient times. It was the time when Chandragupta Maurya used to buy elephants and horses from across the river Ganga.This year, the mela was inaugurated on November 5 by state Tourism Minister Jawaid Iqbal Ansari. More than 25 lakh tourists and pilgrims, including about 250 foreigners, are expected to visit the fair.The fair is organized by the state Tourism Department in collaboration with the district administrations of Saran and Vaishali districts.For the first time, a fashion show will be organized at the fair. National Institute of Fashion Technology, Patna would organize the event.This will also be the first time when the Tourism Department has developed a model art and craft village at the fair ground.On every Tuesday and Saturday (during mela period), 'Maha Aarti' will be performed on the confluence of Ganga and Gandak.After the Kartik Poornima, this place turns into a wonderland with an aim to overwhelm the tourists and rural folks of Sonepur.Elephants being the major attraction are beautifully decorated for the purpose of sale. Besides elephants, horses and birds attract the attention of the visitors.Around 24 departments of the Bihar government will put up stalls at the fair venue. The total budget for the fair is around Rs 3 crore as against the last year's budget of Rs 1.5 crore.Once it used to attract traders from places as distant as central Asia. In 2013, the Fair started on November 16 and continued till December 15.HistoryThe Fair has its origins in ancient times when emperor Chandragupta Maurya used to buy elephants and horses from across Ganga.Originally, the venue of the Cattle Fair was Hajipur. Only the ritual ceremonies used to take place at the Harihar Nath temple of Sonepur. Under the rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the venue got shifted to Sonepur.Locals say that the temple of Harihar Nath is originally built by Lord Rama. Later, Raja Man Singh got the temple repaired.The Harihar Nath temple, as it stands today, was built by Raja Ram Narain.The event, according to Hindu mythology, also commemorates the intervention of Lord Vishnu to end a great curse and long fight between elephant. The elephant was saved, after bathing in the river and being attacked by the crocodile, by Lord Vishnu.Since Sonepur is situated at the convergence of the sacred rivers Ganga and Gandak, people regard it as a holy site. People also visit the Sonepur Cattle Fair to take a holy dip at the convergence and pay respect at the Hariharnath Temple.ConnectivitySonepur is easily accessible by roadways and railways. It is only 25 kilometers from Patna, capital city of Bihar. Patna is well connected by airways, railways and roadways to the other parts of the country.