Four days on, Sonepur fair yet to gather pace

Sonepur: The monthlong Sonepur cattle fair is still to pick up momentum after four days of its official inauguration on November 12. Very few of the 22 stalls allotted to different state government departments have been opened.

“We have allotted space to over 20 departments for setting up their stalls. While a couple of stalls are ready, work is underway on others. We expect all stalls to be ready in next 2-3 days,” said Saran district magistrate Deepak Anand on Monday.

“The fair normally used to get in full swing a day or two after

Kartik Purnima

, but this time it has commenced two days before it. However, the preparations are much better this year and all works would be completed in the next couple of days,” the DM said.

The cattle fair is held at the confluence of

Ganga

and Gandak rivers at Sonepur, around 35km north of Patna.

More than 20 departments, including agriculture, health, education and industries department among others have booked stalls for them. Apart from the government departments, stalls have also been set up for ready-made garments, hosiery and woollen items, handicrafts, cutlery, electrical and electronics, automobiles and leather goods.

Around 4.74 acres of Nakhas land is marked for setting up theatres, non-government stalls, book fair and

Disneyland

. The fair has adapted to the changing times as stalls of numerous fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), including electronic appliances, automobiles and edibles are put up at the fair venue.

Apart from providing a platform for trading farm animals, dogs, buffaloes, goats, camels, birds and horses, the fair has also lately emerged as an avenue for cultural activities. Around 50 artists from across the country have been roped in to perform during the daily cultural programmes as well as in the six-day Harihar Kshetra cultural festival from November 25- 27. The cultural events in the fair are being jointly looked after by tourism department and art, culture and youth affairs department.

Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation

(BSTDC) has also set up Swiss cottages for tourist accommodation. Total 25 Swiss cottages equipped with doubles beds and modern amenities, including geysers, have been set up at Paryatak Gram.

The cottages, blending the rural setting with modern facilities, are a major draw for foreigners thronging the fair. The rent for a single day at the cottages has been fixed at Rs5,000 for the first week, Rs2,000 for the second and Rs1, 000 from November 28 till the end of the fair.