Soron Shukar Kshetra

Getting there

• By train

  Kasganj lies on a railway trijunction, with lines toward Mathura, Kanpur and Bareilly.

• By road

  Soron is 15 km from Kasganj. Since the road bridge over the Ganga was built, travel toward Budaun and Bareilly is convenient.

Why devotees come here

Soron Shukar Kshetra is a Hindu pilgrimage site in Soron, a town in Uttar Pradesh. The Sukarakshetra Mahatmya of the Varaha Purana describes the town, and legend says Varaha slew the demon Hiranyaksha here.

Soron is historically known as a Hindu pilgrimage site, described in the Sukarakshetra Mahatmya of the Varaha Purana. The text celebrates the sanctifying virtues of Sukara, the pilgrimage town. Legend says Soron is where Varaha slew the demon Hiranyaksha. The town is also named as the birthplace of the Bhakti (devotional) saint Bhagat Tulsidas.

Raj Singh I, later king of Mewar, was a young prince when he visited Soron in 1648. He was on a pilgrimage to several holy sites in the region, including Mathura, Allahabad and Varanasi. The so-called Sita-Ram temple on Lehara Road has been heavily modified from its original form. Its raised platform, some pillars and parts of the roof are dated on style to about the 9th or 10th century.

Soron is 15 km from Kasganj. Kasganj comes under the Aligarh division of Uttar Pradesh. Soron is on the Budhi Ganga, a former course of the Ganges, and lies about 10 km from the river's present course.

Festivals

• October and NovemberSoron animal fair

  All kinds of animals are traded, and horses and camels are auctioned. The fair can last up to a month.

• DecemberMargashirsh Mokshda Ekadashi mela

  Pilgrims bathe at Hari Ki Paudi during the fair.

Tips for your visit

• Plan around two fairs in different months: the animal fair in October and November, and the mela in December.
• Look at the original raised platform, pillars and roof parts of the Sita-Ram temple, the oldest surviving parts.

Questions people ask