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.
