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Sonepur Mela 2011: The Largest Livestock Fair in Asia
India’s massive livestock fairs once attracted traders from throughout Asia.
An elephant is painted in decorative colours during the Sonepur Mela in Sonepur near Patna, India. Nov. 15, 2011. The cattle fair, held in the Indian state of Bihar, has its origins during ancient times, when people traded elephants and horses across the auspicious river Ganges. The mela used to attract traders from places as distant as Central Asia.
Daniel Berehulak
November heralds the begining of India's livestock fairs, some of the largest in the world.
At the Sonepur Mela, in the Indian state of Bihar, farm animals like dogs, birds, buffaloes, donkeys, horses, camels, and elephants are available for purchase. The Sonepur Fair is the only one in the world where such a large number of elephants are traded. Getty photographer Daniel Berehulak visited the fair to capture this stunning event. The ancient Sonepur Mela can last between 15 days and one month.
November also marks the begining of the Pushkar fair, one of the world's largest camel markets, and the Vautha fair, one of the world's largest donkey trading events.