From the archive record
Parakeets from India are sold as cage birds at this animal fair - these include the Rose-ringed, Blossom-headed / Plum-headed and the Alexandrine or Large Parakeet. Sale or purchase of these wild birds is an illegal practice and we do not support or promote such practices in any way, shape or form. Different type of birds and livestock are sold in large numbers at the Sonepur mela, Bihar. 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