Being an agrarian country, it should be no surprise that we have a festival dedicated to cattle and how so! The
Sonepur Mela 2024 - When and Where is it Celebrated?
2024 Sonepur Mela will begin on 20 November and ends on 5 December
The Sonepur Cattle Fair or Sonepur Mela held in Northern Bihar during Kartik or November is one of the largest in Asia. It is also considered auspicious time for Hindus as it is held on Kartik Poornima or the full moon night.
How is the festival celebrated?
The festival attracts a crowd from all over the continent and can stretch from fifteen days to a month. The festival's site is at the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Son, Ghagra and Gandak which is a holy spot for Hindus. Being a trade fair, animals of all varieties from elephants and camels to cats and guinea pigs can be bought here.
Praying by the River in Sonepur Mela (Source)
History
Like other Indian festivals, this is also rooted in our ancient history. Emperor Chandragupta Maurya used to buy elephants and horses from across the Ganga for his army. This fair is also the largest marketplace for the sale of elephants globally. The main buyers are the forest department and those who have logging operations and need hoards of these animals.
Relatively untouched by commercial tourism, it gives a glimpse into people's everyday lives at a grandiose scale. As with any festivity, the first day is the most crowded. You should plan a trip around the second to the fourth day. The fifth would be the quietest, and most festivities would be over by then.
Since elephant trading is increasingly illegal, most traders get their elephants for pomp and prestige. Horses of fine quality also gallop around for the same reason. The ‘Chiriya Bazaar’ or Bird Market is a space where birds and other small animals can be bought legally. Cow symbolic of various things in India are also sold as pedigree items and other cattle and milch animals.
Staying at the mela can be done at the camps set up for the pilgrims, but you must be prepared to rough it out in them as they are set up right on the mela grounds. There is also the Bihar Tourism resort, which is a viable option. Tourist lodges with Western-style washrooms are set up during the festival to accommodate the people coming. Small hotels and guest houses are also there. You can also go a short distance to places like Hajipur to stay during this time.
Festival Napping at Sonepur Mela (Source)
Performers like dancers, singers, acrobats, and circus artists also come to this festival to put up entertainment programs at night once the festival concludes for the day.
How to Reach
Getting here is relatively easy as the village of Sonepur is just about 30 km from Patna's capital, which is well connected by flights, rails, and roads.
By Road
The nearest bus stand from Sonepur is Hajipur, which is located at a distance of 5 km. Local transport like tongas, autos, taxis, and buses regularly ply from Hajipur to Sonepur.
By Train
Sonepur junction is the nearest railway station well connected to India's major cities.
However, given how crowded it can get, walking around is your best bet for seeing the entirety of the festival. So keep your running shoes packed and get ready to give your legs an insane workout!
