Sonepur Mela
Asia's largest cattle fair
Significance
Coincides with Kartik Purnima. Once the largest trading event in Asia, drawing traders from as far as Central Asia. Today, an endangered cultural treasure.
A month-long fair at the confluence of the Ganga and Gandak, where traders have gathered since Chandragupta Maurya's era. Elephants, horses, cattle, birds, and the endangered Nautanki folk theatre all in one place.
First-time visitor
Visit on the opening week — livestock presence peaks then, and the Nautanki troupes arrive first.
What to see
- Opening holy dip at the confluence
- Elephant bath in the Gandak
- Nautanki folk theatre evenings
Festival foods
Best for
Travel tips
- 1Stay at the Bihar Tourism Swiss Cottages — the only clean option
- 2Elephant trading is restricted — don't expect the numbers of old
- 3Patna is the nearest airport (~25 km)
Never miss a festival
Want to hear about every event in Bihar?
Subscribe to Bihar or to the full Cultural category — we'll nudge you at 90, 30, 7 and 1 days before each begins. Tune it off anytime from the bell in the header.
Explore Further
Linked places, stories and categories
Linked destination
Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya
Bihar
The UNESCO site where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment in 528 BCE beneath the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha — the most sacred place in all of Buddhism.
Visit pageMore festivals
Festival calendar — Bihar
Every cultural event we track in Bihar, sorted by date.
Browse by statePlaces
All destinations in Bihar
Curated places, rituals and hidden gems across the state.
Explore BiharCategory
More cultural festivals
Every cultural event across India in one list.
See all CulturalFrom the YatraJunction journal
Bihar · 10 min read
Bodh Gaya: Where the Buddha Sat Under a Tree and Changed the World
Fourteen years of wandering, six years of starving himself, forty-nine days beneath a single fig tree — how a prince from modern Nepal became the Buddha on a small plain in southern Bihar in 528 BCE.
Uttar Pradesh · 10 min read
Holi in Mathura: Where Krishna’s Colour Still Lingers
Forty days of flower-fights, turmeric, and divine mischief in the twin towns where Lord Krishna was born and fell in love. The most ancient Holi on earth.
Nagaland · 9 min read
Kohima's Hornbill Festival: Ten Days With 17 Naga Tribes
Feathered headdresses, mithun-horn drinking cups, war dances around bonfires — how a government cultural showcase became India's most authentic tribal festival, and the WW2 battlefield that sits one kilometre away.
Questions & Answers
About Sonepur Mela
Sonepur Mela 2026 is scheduled for 24 Nov – 24 Dec 2026. That's 214 days from today.
You may also like
More festivals in Bihar
