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Sonepur Mela or Sonepur Cattle Fair or Malegaon Mela is an important festival of Sonepur in Bihar state of India. The fair is held on kartik poornima at the merging point of the two important rivers Ganges and Gandak. It is also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela and is visited by large number of tourists from all over world. It is one of the biggest fair in the Asia.
Sonepur Mela of Bihar was originated during the times when Chandragupta Maurya used to buy elephants and horses across the river Ganges. The Mela used to attract traders from places as distant as Central Asia. Previously, the fair was celebrated at Hajipur and only Puja used to take place at the Harihar Nath temple of Sonepur. But as per the rule of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the venue is changed with Sonepur.
The fair is majorly a Haathi Bazaar where elephants are traded. It is the only fair to sale elephants. However, there are various other animals and birds that are brought to the fair for sale but elephants are the major attraction as they cannot legally be sold in such way. Also, the fair hosts various other stalls including the wide variety of goods such as weapons, toys, Furniture utensils implements, agriculture, and handicraftsand jewelry.