SSC
The Sonepur cattle fair of Bihar is associated with which temple?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option C — Hariharnath temple
Detailed Solution
The Sonepur Mela (Harihar Kshetra Mela) is held at Sonepur in Saran district, Bihar, at the confluence of the Gandak and the Ganga. It begins on Kartik Purnima (the full moon of Kartik, in October-November) and continues for several weeks. It is famous as one of the largest cattle fairs in Asia.
The fair is centred on the Hariharnath temple, which is dedicated to both Hari (Vishnu) and Har (Shiva). Pilgrims bathe at the confluence on Kartik Purnima and then worship at the temple.
The site is linked with the legend of Gajendra Moksha. According to the story, an elephant (Gaj) and a crocodile (Grah) fought for a long time in the river here, and Lord Vishnu came to rescue the elephant. This is why the area is also connected with the Gaj-Grah legend.
Historically, the fair was famous for the trade in elephants, horses and other animals. It is said that Chandragupta Maurya bought elephants and horses here. In recent decades, elephant trading has been stopped by wildlife laws, but cattle, horses, birds and handicrafts are still sold, along with cultural programmes organised by the Bihar government.
Other notable fairs of Bihar include the Pitrapaksha Mela at Gaya, the Shravani Mela on the route from Sultanganj to Deoghar (now in Jharkhand), and the Chhath festival.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Vishnupad temple is at Gaya, linked with the Pitrapaksha fair.
- ✗The Mahabodhi temple is at Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment.
- ✗The Mundeshwari temple in Kaimur district is one of the oldest functioning temples in India.
Quick tip
Remember: Sonepur Mela = Hariharnath temple, Gandak-Ganga confluence, Kartik Purnima, Asia's largest cattle fair, Gajendra Moksha legend.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.