The Sonepur Cattle Fair is held on Kartik Poornima (the full moon day) in November and December in Sonepur, Bihar, at the confluence of the rivers Ganges (Gandak). It is also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela. To date, it is the biggest cattle fair in Asia and usually lasts from fifteen days to one month in duration. The Sonepur Cattle Fair used to attract traders from places as far away as Tamil Nadu and Delhi.

According to local folklore, it all starts with the temple of Harihar Nath, which was built by Lord Ram. This temple, thus, became a holy place of much significance, especially among the locals. The cattle fair is also organized to remember Lord Vishnu’s intervention in a conflict between a crocodile and an elephant. Hindu mythology states that while an elephant was bathing in the River Gandak, a crocodile attacked it. The elephant prayed to Lord Vishnu, who resolved the matter by defeating the crocodile.

Since the sacred rivers of the Gandak and the Ganges are situated in Sonepur, people have regarded it as a holy site. Aside from visiting the fair, devotees take a dip in its water to pay their respects to Lord Vishnu.

However, the real cattle fair started during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, dating back to the 4th century BC. The traders traveled long distances across the Ganges River and brought horses and elephants for King Chandragupta Maurya. Various renowned historical figures, such as Emperor Akbar, freedom fighter Baabu Singh and Lord Clive of the East India Company have visited the cattle fair.

Spread across an area of 500 acres, the buying and selling of cattle has taken place at this site for centuries. The most famous animals were elephants and horses. Traders from central and western Asia would bring horses, while elephants were usually traded by people coming from South India. Along with these, a wide variety of other animals, such as cows, donkeys, and even monkeys, were sold in the fair at Sonepur up until the 90s. It was a primary place where the trading of birds and animals took place for a long time.

But today Sonepur’s most famous events look different. Instead of seeing crowds of animals and people bargaining over them, you will find shops starting their business in its place. Various clothing and handicraft stalls, hawkers selling sweets, theatres, and knick-knacks can be found.

There was once a section where elephants were exhibited and sold, known to be the ‘Hatthi bazaar. Now, it is observed as a large ground for people to rest and relax. Many visitors who have been making trips to Sonepur’s cattle fair regard this change as the beginning of an end to the fair.

According to wildvoyager.com; en.wikipedia.org