The magazine of the photo-essay
March 2019 issue
“A free, really high quality photo-essay magazine. Fabulous!”
Stephen Fry. British actor, writer and film maker
by Rajib Singha
Sonepur Cattle Fair, known also as Harihar Kshetra Mela, is held on Kartik Purnima (full moon day) in the months of
November-December at Sonepur, Bihar on the confluence of river Ganga and Gandak. The fair attracts visitors from all
over Asia and dates back to the time of emperor Chandragupta Maurya (340- 297 BCE).
I spent a day at the horse market trying to chronicle the hectic goings-on. In modern India horses have become a status
symbol among the feudal lords of rural India. who still manage to command a considerable influence upon the rural
masses. For them the fair remains a venue to assert their social status and while they sell their horses, they also take the
chance to make an impression on others. The horse traders employ capable riders and keepers to show off their wares.
Horse keepers like Dinesh Yadav from Begusarai and Kamal from Mathura are able riders who have worked for their
masters since childhood.
