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Tarnetar Fair in Gujarat is a small village in Surendranagar in Gujarat, about 200 kilometers from Ahmedabad. Come September and the village comes alive to the strains of music and dancing as thousands of people congregate at the Trinetreshwar temple. The Trinetreshwar temple here originally dates back to the Solanki era. The temple is a fine example of art and sculpture in the Gurjar Pratihar style. The older temple was renovated by Karansinghji, King of Lakhtar. The temple itself bears exquisite carvings and it has three kinds or small ponds in its vicinity. These are the Brahma Kund, Shiv Kund, and the Vishnu kind. Taking a bath here is equivalent to bathing in the Ganges. However, the location has legends associated with it. One is that Arjuna took part in a Swayamvir to win Draupadi and performed a brilliant feat of archery. Just by looking at the reflection of a rotting fish in the water he aimed his bow and shot out the eye.
History
The Tarnetar Mela or fair is held at Tarnetar, near the town of Thangadh, Gujarat. It takes place along with the festival at the Trineteshwar Temple, celebrating the wedding of Arjuna with Draupadi. The fair is held at the grounds of Triniteshwar Mahadev temple. The old temple was ruined, but a new one was built in the 19th century and is situated on the bank of a rivulet and opens into a beautiful reservoir. The Triniteshwar Mahadev Fair is commonly called as the Tarnetar Mela and is celebrated in the first week of 'Bhadrapad' (August-September) according to the Hindu calendar.
The fair is a mixture of colors and lots of excitement. According to legend, the fair has been held here since ancient times and is linked with the tale of Draupadi's Swayamvar, where Arjuna executed the difficult task of piercing the eye of a rotating fish with an arrow, by looking at its reflection in the water and with this accomplishment he won her heart. But historically, the festival is assumed to have initiated about 200 to 250 years ago.
Celebration
The fair is a celebrated in a lively and colorful way. Ethnic Gujarati folk-dances, music, glittering ornaments and costumes all combine to create an impressive and exciting atmosphere. Dancers flow in waves of circular movement, with the constant beating of drums. Music continues throughout the day and dancers keep changing from one group to another. Different kinds of folk dances are performed during the festival and many 'Bhajan Mandlis' (religious music groups) sing songs accompanied by various folk instruments.
A number of stalls are set up to sell local handicrafts, ethnic jewellery, figurine of deities and traditional attire embroidered with miniature mirrors. The fair also has amusement rides, magic shows, photo stalls and tattoo artists. The fair is based around young tribal men and women who are seeking suitable marriage partners. The young tribal men gracefully dress in colorful dhotis, waistcoats and eye-catching turbans waiting to be chosen by young village belles who are also dressed in fine colorful clothes.
Gujarat fairs and festivals are well known world wide. It is due to the celebration of numerous fairs and festivals in Gujarat that it is also called the 'Land of fairs and festivals' Around 3500 fairs and festivals at Gujarat are celebrated all the year around. The fairs and festivals of Gujarat can be celebrated for the change of season, at harvesting time of a green field, on some religious event. The significance of Gujarat fairs and festivals is that they take you closer to the rich cultural diversity of the people there. You get to see the customs, ethics, values and beliefs of the people of Gujarat. Moreover, you also get to know the regional cuisine, clothes, etc, during the fairs and festivals of Gujarat. All the fairs and festivals at Gujarat are governed by solar and lunar calendars and are mainly religious in nature. One striking feature of the fairs and festivals in Gujarat is that one can experience the cultural and religious diversity of the place. Some of the fairs and festivals which are celebrated in Gujarat throughout the year are International Kite Festival, Diwali, Holi, Janmashtami, Kutch Mahotsava, Navratri, Shamlaji Fair, Modhera Dance Festival, Tarnetar Fair, Bhadra Purnima and Vautha Fair.
