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Sonepur Mela is the famous cattle fair held at Sonepur in Northern Bihar on the banks of the river Ganga. The temple in Sonepur is associated with the Gajendhra Moksha legend. The legend has it that king Indrayamuna and the Gandharva chief Huhu were turned into an elephant and a crocodile respectively by the curse of great sages Agasthya and Dewala muni. Both the elephant and the crocodile fought hard for many years with their herds. Then, the king elephant prayed to Vishnu to save him. Vishnu cut down the crocodile with his 'Chakra'. The touch of the chakra released Huhu from the curse. Then, Vishnu released Indrayamuna also from his curse.
Features
One of Asia's largest cattle fair, it is held on the full moon day of the month of Kartik, one of the most auspicious days for the Hindus.
Sonepur, situated on the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga and Gandak, is considered as a holy land.
Devotees take a bath at the confluence and visit the Hariharnath temple here on the Kartika Purnima day.
The 'Hariharnath Kshetra Mela' is now more known for the cattle fair held during this time.
During this month-long fair, cattle decorated for the occasion throng the venues of the town.
The sprawling fair ground becomes a bustling hub of activities.
The teeming market displays the widest possible range of cattle and commodities.
One of the most interesting sights is the elephants lined up for sale. A large number of elephants are sold here.
These are purchased mainly by forest departments and people involved with logging operations.
Apart from elephants, a large number of cattle and horses are also brought to the fair for sale.
Various folk shows, games are arranged and many artists and performers come here to entertain the people.
Season
November-December is the time when Sonepur Mela is held.
How to Reach
By Air
Bihar has an airport in its capital city Patna, which is connected by air with Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Kolkata.
By Rail
The train services of Indian Railways connect several places of Bihar to the other major cities.
By Road
Internal road network within the state connects Patna to other tourist destinations of Bihar and also to other cities of India.
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