Sonepur Cattle Fair

Sonepur Cattle Fair
Sonepur Cattle Fair
GenreReligious
DatesNovember - December
BeginsKartik Poornima
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Sonepur
Coordinates25°41′N 85°11′E / 25.69°N 85.18°E / 25.69; 85.18
CountryIndia
EstablishedDuring Vedic Period
ParticipantsHindu
Attendance>2,500,000-3,000,000
ActivityCultural Programs, Shopping, Regional and Indian Food, Quality Woolen and Kashmiri dresses, Adventurous Rides and many more.
Organised byBihar State Tourism Development Corporation
Websitehttps://tourism.bihar.gov.in/

Sonepur Cattle Fair is held on Kartik Poornima (the full moon day) over the months of November and December in Sonepur, Bihar,[1][2] on the confluence of river Ganges (Gandak).[3][4] It is also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela. To date, it is the biggest cattle fair in Asia and usually lasts from between fifteen days to one month in duration.[5] It was historically started during Vedic period. The Sonepur Cattle Fair used to attract traders from places as far away as Tamil Nadu and Delhi. In 2018, the Fair started on the 21st of November and continued until the 22nd of December.[6]

  1. ^ "Marriages made in Sonepur cattle fair". Archived from the original on 2017-11-07.
  2. ^ "Destinations :: Sonepur". Archived from the original on 2017-11-01.
  3. ^ "Sonepur Mela kickstarts". Archived from the original on 2017-12-23.
  4. ^ "Destinations :: Patna". Archived from the original on 2014-09-18.
  5. ^ "Sonepur fair losing its elephant charm". Archived from the original on 2017-06-11.
  6. ^ "Sonpur Mela 2018". Archived from the original on 2014-11-02.