Patna, Feb. 12: Visitors to Sonepur Fair who are fond of entertainment like perfomances by nautch girls and gambling could soon be heartbroken. The trusts of Mahavir Mandir, Patna, and Hariharnath Temple, Sonepur, have decided to take up the cudgels to cleanse the fair of such activities.

To instil a sense of the tradition of the fair among the visitors, the devotees have decided to stage scenes from the mythological event, Samudra Manthan or the churning of oceans by the gods.

“Several practices that are common at the Sonepur Fair, like parties, gambling and nautch girls, are against the traditional values and cultural ethos of the place. It is a sacred pilgrimage. But for many years, its cultural aspect has been diminishing,” said Mahavir Sansthan Nyas Samiti secretary Acharya Kishore Kunal.

He added that the trust has decided to stage scenes from Samudra Manthan. The cost of organising the event would be Rs 1 crore.

The Sonepur Mela is held on Kartik Poornima on the confluence of rivers Ganga and Gandak.

Kunal, also the chairman of Bihar State Board of Religious Trusts, said: “We have decided to end all malpractices at the fair. For that, we are going to recreate the scenes of Samundra Manthan during the fair. The scenes would be recreated on November 24, 2012. The performances would continue for 14 days.”

Samudra Manthan is one of the most famous incidents of the Puranas. Gods formed an alliance with demons to churn the oceans for the nectar of immortality and to share it among them. The churning of the Milky Way was an elaborate process. Mount Mandarachala was used as the churning rod, and Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the churning rope.

Kishore said: “We will recreate many aspects of Samudra Manthan at Sonepur Fair. We are in the process of contacting experts and training artists who can recreate the scenes. Our plan has got the approval of the most of religious leaders of the country.”

Sources said replicas of the mountain and the serpent would be created by the artistes. The site would also have a temporary river, which would be churned by the devotees. The mountain would be made either from brass or copper. The serpent would be made of rubber.

Kunal also said: “It would be a challenging task for the temple trust but people visiting the Sonepur cattle fair would surely realise the it’s importance. Ill practices cannot replace the traditional values. Sonepur should be known for such religious practice, not as a place for entertainment.”

Sonepur, located around 35km from Patna, attracts traders from places as distant as Central Asia. Nearly all animals can be bought at the Sonepur Fair. A large variety of birds, poultry and fish are also available. The area that attracts all is the one where elephants are lined up for sale.