A QUITE HAMLET
Situated on the
confluence of the river Gandak and Ganges, Sonepur, shaped like a
triangle is demarcated by three mighty rivers - the Ganga, Gandak, and
Ghagra that demarcate this district. Sonepur is located in the Saran
district in the northern part of Bihar.
Set in panoramic
surroundings, Sonepur is a small quiet town situated over Asia's longest
bridge, the Mahatma Gandhi Setu, which is a short distance from Patna.
It is famed for the unique 3 week long Sonepur fair, rightly called the
'king of fairs' that is only one of its kind in the whole of Asia, that
it hosts in the period of October - November.
ASIA'S LARGEST CATTLE
FAIR
The Sonepur Fair is held
on Karthik Purnima (the full moon day) in the month of November in
Sonepur (Bihar), on the banks of river Ganga. It lasts for a fortnight
and the cattle are decorated for the occasion.
In the months of
November/December Sonepur in Bihar becomes the site of the Sonepur
Livestock fair. It is Asia's largest cattle fair where anything can be
bought right from elephants to camels, buffaloes, goats and all sorts of
four-legged creatures.
The fair becomes a
virtual explosion of colours, music, dances, magic shows, cattle,
merchants and handicrafts as people from all over the world congregate
to participate in this huge event. It has all the fun and hue of a
popular fair, which has religious connotations as well and is enjoyed
with a lot of jest and fanfare by all.
LEGEND
The fair is also a
celebration of good over evil. Local folklore has it that a crocodile
once caught the leg of an elephant that was bathing in the lake, who in
turn tried to crush it under his feet. Then followed a mighty battle for
thousands of years, joined by other crocodiles and elephants. Finally
the elephant prayed to Vishnu for help and was released from the
crocodile's hold when Vishnu killed it.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
HOW TO GET THERE
Air: Patna airport
is 25 kms from Sonepur.
Rail: sonepur is 25 kms from patna airport.
Road: Buses to Sonepur are available from Patna.
