Sonepur is located in Saran district in a northern part of Bihar.This district, shaped like a triangle, is demarcated by three mighty rivers the Ganga, Gandak,and Ghagra.Sonepur stands on the confluence of the Ganga and Gandak.The annual Sonepur Fair in Bihar is a vibrant rural fair that combines spirituality with elephants, cattle, horses and birds.Here is Some Fact about Asia's biggest Sonepur Fair in Bihar India.
Location: Sonepur, Bihar
Fair Time: Kartik Purnima( November)
Duration: 15 Days
How to Reach by Air: The Nearest Airport is Patna Airport.(30 KM)
How To Reach by Rail: The Nearest Railway station is Sonpur Station.
How To Reach by Road:There are lot of Private and public vehicals available.
More Information about Sonepur Fair
Sonepur is a town in the Indian state of Bihar, situated on the banks of the River Gandak in Saran district in the Indian state of Bihar.It hosts one of the world's largest animal fairs. It is on the confluence of four rivers.The Sonepur Cattle Fair or Sonepur is held on Kartik Poornima (the full moon day) in the month of November in Sonepur, Bihar, on the confluence of river Ganga and Gandak. It is also known as Harihar Kshetra fair and it attracts visitors from all over Asia. Elephants, horses, dogs, donkeys, ponies, rabbits and goats are sold from the fair.The area that attracts all, however, is the one where elephants are lined up for sale. The Sonepur Fair is the only one where such a large number of elephants are sold. Numerous stalls are also set up at the grounds of the Sonepur Cattle Fair. You will find a wide variety of goods in these stalls, ranging from garments, to weapons and furniture, toys, utensils and agricultural implements, jewelry and handicrafts. Major attraction is the sight of numerous elephants, beautifully decorated for the purpose of sale.
History of Sonepur Fair
Originally, the venue of the fair was Hajipur and people went to sonpur to worship the god Vishnu in Harihar Nath temple in sonpur. However, under the rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the venue of the fair got shifted to Sonepur. The temple of Harihar Nath is believed to have been originally built by Lord Rama, on his way to the court of King Janak to win the hand of Mata Sita. It is further said that Raja Man Singh later got the temple repaired. The Harihar Nath temple, as it stands today, was built by Raja Ram Narain, an influential person during the late Mughal period.
The Sonepur mela has a profound historic grandeur. According to the travelogue of a British administrative officer, W W Hynter, in 1919, the Sonepur mela used to be held in over 43 villages in the past. But now a days the Sonepur mela is held here on a sprawling 200 acres of land.
Since Sonepur is situated at the convergence of the sacred rivers Ganges and Gandak, the Hindus regard it as a holy site. One of the purposes of the people visiting the Sonepur Cattle Fair, apart from the fair, is to take a holy dip at the convergence and pay respects at the Hariharnath Temple. There are lot of holy temple like Naulakkha Mandir, kali mandir, Radha-krishna mandir, Sadhu Gachhi and many more. It was also famous for Sadhu-Mahatma.
According to sources, the mela venue in the past also used to serve as a prime place for freedom movement. In fact, the fair was for the first time held on the Hajipur side around the 16th century. Later, the mela was shifted to the Sonepur side at the initiative of the then British officials to suppress the freedom movement.
