From the archive record
Boats lined up along the banks of the Gandak river for the pilgrims. It is an easy and cheap mode of transportation. This also helps reduce the congestion on roads. The Sonepur Cattle Fair or Malegaon Mela is held on Kartik Poornima (the full moon day) in the month of November in Sonepur, Bihar, on the confluence of river Ganges and Gandak. It is also known as Harihar Kshetra Mela and it attracts visitors from all over Asia. Till date, it is the biggest cattle fair of Asia and stretches on from fifteen days to one month. It has its origins during ancient times. This is when Chandragupta Maurya used to buy elephants and horses across the river Ganges. The Sonepur Cattle Fair once used to attract traders from places as distant as Central Asia. Many farm animals can be bought at the Sonepur