The Sonepur Mela or Harihar Kshetra Mela is an annual trade fair that takes place in the place called Sonepur in the state of Bihar. It is usually held on the day of Karthik Poornima (the full moon day) in November at the confluence of the rivers of Ganges and Gandak.
The fair is one of the most popular and biggest fairs in the whole of Asia, and its duration ranges from 15 days to a month. Legend says that King Chandragupta Maurya used to purchase elephants and horses for his cavalry from this very same place.
Traditions
The fair was originally held at another place called Hajipur. However, based on a rule by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the venue was later shifted to Sonepur, where religious ceremonies were held at the Hariharnath Temple. The temple is also said to have been built by Lord Rama on his way to Mithila, where he won the hand of his wife Goddess Sita.
Thousands of devotees gather here to take a dip in the confluence of the rivers of Ganges and Gandak and pay their obeisance at the temple. The temple grounds paves way for brisk business, where traders sell their livestock to prospective buyers. Apart from a wide variety of cattle, horses and elephants are also sold, whose main buyers include Forest Departments amongst others.
The fair is also the place for a wide variety of folk and other cultural performances, which attract a lot of tourists. Local folk theatre, jugglers, local games and shops that sell merchandise and handicrafts can also be found at the fair.
Tourist Essential
Tourists can feast their eyes on the brisk business of trading of livestock and can pick up some tricks of the trade from them. You can also bear a witness to a variety of folk and other cultural performances happening in and around the fair. Pay your respects to Lord Hariharnath and indulging in some retail therapy at the local stalls are just some of the other activities that you can take part in.
