Patna: Bihar plans to use social-networking sites to popularize Asia's largest cattle fair held annually at Sonepur in the state, a police official said Tuesday.

Saran district Superintendent of Police Sujeet Kumar said the tourism department, along with the district administration, will use social-networking sites, including Facebook, to popularise the Sonepur cattle fair from this year.

"The Sonepur cattle fair will find a place on social networking sites like Facebook to attract domestic and foreign tourists," he said.

Kumar said it will be the first such move to use Facebook to popularise the Sonepur cattle fair worldwide.

In a bid to attract tourists, the government has decided to hire event managers for the fair this time.

The fair, beginning Nov 27, is spread across 500 acres near the confluence of two rivers - the Ganga and the Gandak - and has been held every year for centuries.

The event, which begins on Kartik Purnima, is reportedly the only one of its kind in the sub-continent.

Animals like horses, cows, oxen, goats, buffaloes, donkeys, ponies, monkeys, rabbits, bears, cats and guinea pigs are traded at the fair.