Sonepur is located in Saran district of Bihar, 22 km away from Patna, at the confluence of
two mighty rivers, the Ganga and Gandak. It is a small town amid picturesque surroundings, close to the Mahatma Gandhi Setu, the longest road bridge in Asia. Sonepur is
famous for hosting one of Asia's largest cattle fairs. The month-long event, better known as
Sonepur Mela, is held in the month of November every year.
All kinds of working animals elephants to camels,cattle and goats are bought and
sold at the fair. Besides, it's a fair of dance, music and masti and, as such, it draws tourists from
all over India and abroad. The fair is visited by lakhs of people, and the congregation is the
largest on the Kartik Purnima day when the festival opens. A bath in the Ganga and puja at the
Hariharnath Mandir here on the day is considered auspicious.
Sonepur is a divisional headquarters of Indian Railways. There are large railway workshops and a number of quarters for employees. The Railway Colony has a recreation club.
The old Gandak railway bridge by the side of the Sonepur railway station here was opened in March 1887. It is 2,176 feet long and is built of eight spans of 250 feet, with two broad path ways for pedestrians. Because of the swift flow of water in the Gandak when it swells during
the rains and the unstable nature of its bed, the bridge was regarded as a triumph of engineering skill when it was built.
But this bridge was later found unable to meet the requirements of the heavy traffic, which
increased with time, and another magnificent railway bridge was constructed at some distance
from the old one. The old bridge was handed over to the state government for road traffic.
Had the railway bridge not been there, the Hariharnath Mandir at Sonepur would have
become almost inaccessible. For, there's no regular steamer service in the river here. Sonepur
is also connected with Hajipur, a town across the river, by a pontoon bridge, which is dismantled during the floods.
Legend has it that Sonepur was the place where, in pre historic times, the fight between
the lords of the forest and the water, Gaj and Grah (elephant and crocodile) ended. According
to the Shrimad Bhagwat Purana, there was a vast lake around the Trikut hill which had, as the
name implies, three towering peaks, crowned with dense forests and infested with wild animals. There lived a huge crocodile in this lake. An elephant came with a herd to the tank to
have a bath. The crocodile caught the elephant's leg and tried to drag him into deeper water.
The elephant offered a stiff resistance. The struggle continued for a thousand years and ulti-
mately all the elephants and the crocodiles joined the fight. The elephant, beginning to weaken, prayed to the supreme god, Hari, to help him. His prayer was heard and Hari saved him
from the grip of the crocodile.
In Hindu mythology, the crocodile is believed to have been in its previous birth a
Gandharva chief named Huhu. Huhu had gone to have a bath in this lake and, it is said, caught
a holy sage by his leg in a truculent manner. The sage, Dewala Muni, turned furious and cursed
the Gandharva chief and changed him into a crocodile as a punishment.
He lived in the lake in the form of a huge crocodile until he was restored to his Gandharva
life by the sacred touch of Vishnu (Hari) who, with his "chakra" or discus, cut the throat of the
crocodile while rescuing the elephant from his jaws.
On the other hand, the elephant, in its former existence, was a king of the Pandyas, Indradyumna by name, who was a pious man. Once, however, he did not pay his respects to
a sage, Agastya. The sage cursed him and made him an elephant. He, too, was saved by Hari's
touch, and was allowed to accompany Him to "vaikuntha" or heaven.
Antiquity of Sonepur
Sonepur, along with Hajipur within a few miles, was an integral part of the Vrijjian republic. The area of Sonepur-Hajipur remained for long under the influence of Vratyas or Kikatas
who were famous for their wealth.
Sonepur doesn't have a mention in Buddhist and Jain literature, but the "Records of
Buddhist Religion" mentions the existence of a Sangharam, on the confluence of the Mahi and
the Sagar, which were either small rivulets or tributaries of the Gandak.
Vaishali, so very famous in Buddhist and Jain religions, is twenty miles away from
Sonepur. A large number of ancient relics have been found in Vaishali,which is believed to be
the birthplace of Lord Mahavir by a section of Jains. Lord Buddha had also passed this way.
Harihar nath Mandir
The origin of the Shiva temple at Sonepur, known as Hariharnath Mandir, is shrouded in
mystery. Orthodox Hindus believe Lord Rama built the temple on his way to Janakpur to win
Sita.
Raja Ram Narain, a noted figure of Bihar, built the present temple during the later
Mughal period. The temple was recently reconstructed by the Birlas. The temple of
Hariharnath Mahadeo is the principal place of worship here but several smaller temples also
receive the offerings of pilgrims. Among these are the Kali Sthan and the Panch Devata
Mandir. The latter was built by a priestess who claimed to have built the temple with the
offerings she received.
