Sonpur Mela
Sonpur is a small city and
sub-division in the Indian state of Bihar, situated on the banks of sacred
river Gandak (Narayani) and the Ganges River in Saran district. Once this city
was famous for longest railway platform. Its fair which is very much popular,
vibrant and colorful fair held on Kartik Poornima (full moon) day on the
confluence river Ganga and Gandak about 20 kms across Ganga river North of
Patna, the convergences of these sacred river regarded as holy site among the
Hindus. Basically it is peasants fair and people from far off places even
offshore countries come to see it. But now the distant is halved due to new
rail and Road connectivity from Digha in Patna to Sonpur directly. It is also
popularly known as Harihar Kshetra Mela. Its main attraction is the biggest
cattle fair, which consists of elephants, cows, buffalos, birds and puppies of
different species, horses and many more. This fair lasts fifteen days to a
month in duration.
As per folklore Chandragupta Maurya
(340-297 BCE) bought elephants and horses across the river Ganges for trading and it attracted traders from far
off places of Central Asia and it is still continuing. Previously this fair was
celebrated in Hajipur across the river Gandak and 3Kms east of Sonpur and the
puja was performed at the temple of Harihar Nath in Sonpur, but it is Moughal Emperor Aurangzeb who shifted
the fair from Hajipur to Sonpur. There is belief that the Harihar Nath temple
was built by Lord Rama. So the sentiments of Hindus are with this fair. But the
temple which stands today is built by Raja Ram Narain a very popular and
influential person during Moughal period.
There is very popular folklore about
the fight of Gaj (elephant) and Grah (crocodile) which was ended by the help of
Lord Vishnu after killing the Crocodile. This fair also attracts youngsters
from villages and surrounding areas to see the performance of nautch girls in
different theaters and for ladies buying different and colorful bangles and other
utilities etc.
As I lived in Patna so this fair
always attracted me and I used to go there with my photographer friends by
motorcycles very early in the morning to catch the early morning oblations of
the devotees and the rising sun. Later for convenience I stayed in hotels in
Hajipur and use to walk across the Gandak Bridge in the very early morning to
catch the view of rising sun which makes very attractive.. Early morning
picture always considered photographers delight. Bihar Government also provides
beautiful accommodations in the midst of fair but I found those always full. While
making photo feature I got an interesting shot of a cub elephant who scared a
village women during Mela.
Text
and Photo by- Ashok Karan.
Ashokkaran.blogspot.com,
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