PATNA: The month-long hustle and bustle that was missing on the banks of the Ganga in Sonepur will return after two years this weekend. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate Asia’s biggest cattle fair in this small town on November 6.
The annual fair, which sees a large number of birds and animals being traded, could not be held during the last two years due to the pandemic. Nitish will be inaugurating the fair after 17 years. During the fair, a large number of devotees are also expected to gather to have a holy dip in the Ganga on the occasion of Kartik Purnima on November 8. The event is held on 500 acres of land near the confluence of the Ganga and Gandak rivers.
The district administration is currently busy in making arrangements. “Preparations are going on in full swing. Everything will be in place before Kartik Purnima,” Divisional Commissioner Punam said. The state government had banned elephant trade in 2015 here. In 2016, 13 elephants were brought but only for exhibition purposes. In 2007, 77 elephants were brought to the fair, while the number was 354 in 2004 – the highest so far.
The sale of animals at Sonepur is said to be a centuries-old practice. Horses and elephants for Emperor Chandragupta Maurya were said to be bought here. It is also believed that Emperor Akbar, Robert Clive of the East India Company and freedom fighter Babu Kunwar Singh had also visited the fair.