Harihar Chattar Mela: A Fair on the Confluence

Sonpur is located on the west bank of the Gandak river in Bihar. Harihar (Lords Vishnu and Shiva) Chattar Mela is celebrated at the confluence of the Ganga and Gandak rivers for centuries. The foreground of this drawing in water colour by Shiv Kumar, done in 1820, is full of people and there are numerous boats and barges on the river. There is a pinnace budgerow with an English couple seated on top. The temple of Mahadeva can be seen on the opposite bank with a large encampment. On the north of the river is the Ganga, which is also thronged with people. The great granary (Golghar) of Bankipore is visible in the far distance. People from far off and different parts of Bihar gather here to take holy dip at the confluence of the two rivers on Kartika Purnima (the day of the full moon in Kartik i.e.October-November. It is beleived that a ritual dip here is eqaul to donating a thousand cows as a gift. The temple of Harihar located here is unique in the sense that the statue combines the images of Hari (Vishnu) and Har (Shiva) together. It is there ever since the Mughal rule because the temple is mentioned in the contemporary accounts. In the sixteenth century the fair was temporarily organised on the other side of the Gandak river, and then again returned back to Sonpur. These temporary shifts happened because of the fluvial character of the Gandak and the Ganga, which deposited huge amount of silt and changed the path of the rivers. Francis Buchanan in his account of Patna-Gaya has mentioned that people from far off, specially from Patna and Gaya gathered here, and they were both from low caste to higher caste categories. The place was also a breeeding ground of discontent against the British East India Company, and the mutiny plan by Kunwar Sing of Bihar was hatched at this Mela only.