Tarnetar Mela is held at the temple of Trinetreshwara Mahadeva, popularly called Tarnetar, which is also the name of a small village situated 8 km north of Thangadh Railway Station in Gujarat. Tarnetar fair 2024 date September 5, September 6 and September 7. The fair is centered on young tribal men and women seeking marriage partners. Romance and excitement are part of the annual mela.
Trinetreshwara Mahadeva means the three-eyed god. The ancient temple dedicated to this form of Lord Shiva no longer exists. A new aesthetically beautiful temple built by the Gaekwads of Vadodara in the 19th century is now the focal point of the Tarnetar festival.
Tarnetar fair is one of the most important fairs in the Saurashtra region. The three-day mela has gained universal popularity and is attended by people from around the world.
The popular belief is that the fair was first organized as part of the wedding Draupadi (Panchali) in the Mahabharata.
Communities like Koli, Bharwad, Rabari, Khant Kanbi, Harijan and Kathi attend the fair in large numbers.
The fair is famous for its vibrant colors, music and energetic people of different cultures.
Gujarat’s authentic folk-dance, music, costumes and arts are on display during the fair.
The mela has a unique color, rhythm, dynamism and character. Young men and women engross themselves in the festive atmosphere with their color and beautifully embroidered dresses. They enliven the atmosphere with sweet tunes of their flutes, trumpets and rasa.
A huge number of stalls put up to sell beautiful local handicrafts unavailable elsewhere, along with ethnic jewelry, statues of deities and traditional attire with tiny mirrors embroidered into the clothing.
It is annually held from Bhadrapad Shukla Paksha Dwitiya to Chaturthi.
Tarnetar Fair And Umbrellas
Colorful umbrellas with eye-catching embroidery are special features of this fair. The Kolis of Saurashtra initiated the custom of embroidering umbrellas, which are exquisitely elaborate in terms of embellishments.
The embroidery of each is unique and rises from the edges all the way to the top, with beadwork and patchwork in the design as well. Small colorful handkerchiefs are attached all around the edge, to attract further attention. These men spend over a year embroidering their umbrellas.
Their intention is to entice the girls with their art, cloths and head gear and impress them, so that they can propose them for marriage.
Tarnetar Mela And Dance - Music
Dance is the most important aspect of Tarnetar Mela. It is meant to attract marriage partners and also to display talent and get noticed.
As the dancers surge in waves of circular movement, the incessant throbbing of the drums keeps them moving in unison, and the drum beats continue throughout the day even as the dancers change from one group to the next.
Many kinds of folk dances are performed; by far the most popular is the raas, in which dancers hold sticks to clack against those of other dancers.
As many as one to two hundred women perform rasadas in a single circle, to the beats of four drums at a time and the tunes of jodia pavas (double flutes). You may also see people break out into a spontaneous hudo.
Rabari women of nearby Zalawad perform the famous circular folk dance called rahado. Their marital status is indicated clearly by their costumes; a black zimi (skirt) means she is married. But if a woman is wearing a red zimi, it means she has not yet tied the knot, probably seeking a husband.
The potential husbands seeking brides are elegantly dressed in colorful dhotis, artistically designed waistcoats and a head-cloth twisted at an angle, moving about the fairground at Tarnetar with striking umbrellas, advertising the bachelorhood they are keen to relinquish.
Numerous sadhus and bhajan mandalis (religious music groups) are engrossed in singing continuously, accompanied by folk instruments.