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Photos: Highlights from Bihar’s colourful Sonepur Mela
Updated On Nov 29, 2017 11:57 am IST
In the month of November, Asia's largest cattle fair, the Sonepur Mela is held in Bihar. Even though the state has banned bird and elephant trading, the festival continues to bring in the numbers with horse trading and several human entertainment acts.
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Horse riders show off their riding skills during a race at the Sonepur Mela in Bihar, earlier this month. Arguably Asia’s largest cattle fair, it was inaugurated by the deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)
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Devotees walk on the bridge to reach Sonepur mela in Bihar. Modi said the state government has gradually transformed the cattle fair into a cultural festival. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)
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The celebration of Kartik Purnima is an important part of the Sonepur Mela in Bihar as it marks the opening of the festival. Thousands of pilgrims make offerings and take a ritual bath in the confluence of Ganga and Gandak river. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)
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A Hindu priest performs rituals on the occasion of Kartik Purnima at Konhara ghat, Sonepur in Bihar. Several “tantriks” practice black magic in a belief to remove evil energies from the resolve the pilgrims’ problems. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)
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Lalbabu Jadhav, a horse trader from Betiya district, Bihar poses for a photograph with his horse at the Sonepur Mela grounds. Horse trading has picked up over the years and several traders come to the venue from Rajasthan, Balhotra, Khagariya, Balia and Punjab. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)
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A horse trader gets a quick shave at the cattle camp at Sonepur Mela. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)
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Laddu Baba, a horse trader from Nabada, Bihar with his fleet at night. The main attraction at the fair this year was horses. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)
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Sanjay Ram, a horse trader from Khagariya, Bihar cooks dinner inside the cattle camp at Sonepur Mela. According to most traders, buyers look at the legs, mouth and forehead of a horse to gauge its health and age. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)
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With the ban on elephant and bird-trading, the Sonepur Mela has introduced more popular aspects of a ‘mela’ to bring in the numbers. An onlooker looks at a giant wheel at the grounds. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)
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A girl walks on the tight rope to entertain people at the Sonepur mela in Bihar. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)
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