A land where the air is laden heavy with faith, fairs and mythical beliefs. One such fair is held at the holy confluence of river Ganga and the Gandhak. This is the Sonepur mela also popularly known as the Harihar Kshetra Mela. On the auspicious day of Kartik Poornima, the holy full moon night in the month of Kartika according to the Hindu calender, Sonepur mela is held. The host to the fair is a small place called Sonepur, situated at a distance of 25 kms north of Patna the capital city of Bihar. This fair is basically a marathon 15 to 30 day long cattle fair. One can find many breeds of buffaloes, cows, dogs and horses here. Animals like elephants are openly sold and bought even though this practice is illegal in the country. Animals like dog puppies, goats, rabbits and even guinea pigs are kept on display for sale. Wild birds like Rose-Ringed Parakeets and Scaly-Breasted Munias are a common sight here at the Sonepur mela. One can even find rare birds like Eagles and exotics like multi-hued budgrigars for sale. The characteristic features of this fair are the unique varieties of goods found here. Items ranging from everyday goods like garments and utensils to agricultural tools and all kinds of weapons are sold. The fair was previously held at Hajipur. However during the rule of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb this fair was shifted to Sonepur near Hariharnath temple on his orders. According to legend Lord Rama made this temple while he was on his way to Goddess Sita’s Swayamvara, which was taking place in Mithila. Devotees from all over India visit the Hariharnath temple during the hindu calendar month of Kartika. It is considered holy to bathe at the confluence of River Ganga and Gandhak during this period. Traders used to gather here for these grand cattle fair from as far as central Asia once. Attractions like folk shows, amusement rides, Magic shows and food stalls add to the charm of the fair. The Sonepur fair or the harihar kshetra mela as the locals call it has taken a more commercial focus in the recent years as it is attracting a huge number of both domestic and international tourists. This is the reason why the organization of the fair was taken over by the Bihar Tourism Board in the year 2012. Thousands of tourists every year come to witness this unique amalgamation of religion and trade fair from every part of the globe. Through the years the Harihar Kshetra mela or the Sonepur mela has emerged as Asia’s biggest cattle fair of all times. Sonepur mela till date continues to be an essential part of the varied culture and spiritual diversity of the land of India. A land that is made of legends and folklores. This footage is part of the professionally-shot broadcast stock footage archive of Wilderness Films India Ltd., the largest collection of HD imagery from South Asia. The Wilderness Films India collection comprises of 50, 000+ hours of high quality broadcast imagery, mostly shot on HDCAM / SR 1080i High Definition, Alexa, SR, XDCAM and 4K.
