Gujarat Tourism: Trinetreshwar Mahadev Fair

In the era of the legendary epic Mahabharata, Pandavas King Arjun pierced the eye of the fish above him by only looking at its reflection in the water in order to win Draupadi’s hand for marriage; this swayamvar was organized at the Trinetreshwar Temple at Tarnetar village of Gujarat. Such goes the regional folklore about one of Gujarat’s and India’s most famous Tribal festivals- The Tarnetar Mela or as it is more formally called Trinetreshwar Mahadev Fair.

This three-day “Tarnetar Fair” is held at the Temple of Shiva or Trinetreshwar popularly known as Tarnetar

This fair held every year in the Bhadrapad (August-September) month of the Hindu calendar, is attended by all of the nearby tribal groups of Koli, Bharwad, Rabari, Khant, Kanbi, Khati and Charan. About hundred thousand people attended the event in the previous edition.

The Tarnetar Fair

About 75 km from Rajkot, in the Surendragarh District of Gujarat, lies this small hamlet called Tarnetar, which is host to a magnificent festival that celebrates tribal art, dance and music, but that’s just the crux of it, the major motive of the fair is a big community wide Swayamvar where girls choose their prospective bridegrooms for an eventual marriage. The prospective bridegrooms wear rich, embroidered traditional tribal costumes and carry an umbrella with them. These umbrellas and the hair style of the young boys are the distinguishing factor, and end up becoming the decisive factor in winning the most beautiful bride. The youth of the tribal groups work for almost a year on designing, coloring and embroidering the umbrellas for this very day.

Unmarried Men stand under exquisitely embroidered ‘Chatris’ signifying their marital status while young Women go around the chatris hunting for their grooms

The most precious thing of the fair is the spontaneity with which everyone just breaks into dancing upon listening to tribal folk music, the atmosphere is so immersing that you feel as if you are bound to the place, its culture and people. The color, the beautiful folk costumes, dance, music everything seems like a celebration of being one with the other. 

The Dance at the Tarnetar Fair

The village is also host to a Kund or artificial lake called ‘Papanshu’, whose water is believed to be as pure as that of holy River Ganges. After the Uttrayan Kite Festival, this is the next major festival Gujarat offers to the people who come to be enchanted by it.

Spot an original ‘Hudo’ folk dance in Tarnetar fair

Cattle Fairs of India

There are numerous festival and fairs held every day across the country and each fair has its own significance. Animal plays an important role in the life of Indian people, they includes in many of their rituals and are worshiped as well. India host one of the largest cattle and livestock fairs in the world Sonepur Cattle Fair, take place at the end of Kartik month every year.

Famous Pushkar Cattle fair

The famous Pushkar Cattle fair is the five day Cattle Fair held annually in Pushkar town of Royal Rajasthan. Pushkar camel Fair is one of the largest camel fairs in India and an important tourist attraction of the city. Pushkar Fair also includes cows, sheep and goats along with events and competitions such as longest mustache, bridal competition and camel race.

Pushkar camel fair Rajasthan

Kolayat Cattle Fairs

The Kolayat Cattle Fairs is another famous cattle fair of Rajasthan held in Bikaner district and known for best place to trade buffaloes, horses, camels and other cattle. Kolayat fair or Kapil Muni fair is an important fair of Bikaner and largest cattle of fair of district organized during the month of December.

Kolayat Cattle Fair in Rajasthan

Sonepur Mela

Sonepur is a town situated on the bank of river Gandak near Patna in Bihar. It is famous for largest cattle fair in India known as The Sonepur Mela held on the confluence of holy river Ganges and Gandak. Sonepur Cattle Fair is the biggest cattle fair of Asia held annually on Kartik Poornima in the month of November. Its the fair for the trade of animals such as Cattle, horses,goats,donkeys,camels,birds and elephants. Haathi Bazaar is the major attraction of Sonepur Mela, numerous elephants are beautifully decorated for the purpose of sale.

Sonepur Mela

The Nagaur Cattle Fair

The Nagaur Cattle Fair is the second biggest fair in India, held annually for eight-days during the month of January – February. Nagaur is situated between the two beautiful city Bikaner and Jodhpur, It is well known as land of fairs. The animal fair attracts lots of people from the rural Rajasthan and cities for trading of camels, bullocks and other animals.

Nagaur Cattle Fair in Rajasthan

Chandrabhaga Fair / Jhalawar Cattle Fair

Jhalawar Cattle Fair also known as Chandrabhaga Fair held every year on the bank of Chandrabhaga River in Jhalawar district of Rajasthan. Chandrabhaga Fair is one of the most popular fair celebrated on last day of Karti Poornima from 27th-29th November.

Agra Cattle Fair or Bateshwar Fair

The Agra Cattle Fair or Bateshwar Fair take place in town of Bateshwar near Agra on the banks of holy river Yamuna. Bateshwar Fair of cattle and livestock held every year during the Karthik month November and considered as the biggest fair in Uttar Pradesh. Along with the bank of river Yamuna there are 108 Hindu temples dedicated to Gods and Goddesses of Hinduism.

Agra Cattle Fair in Uttar Pradresh

Gangapur Cattle Fair

The Gangapur Cattle Fair take place in Gangapur near the Bhilwara in Rajasthan. Gangapur is situated on Bhilwara-Udaipur Road and named after the temple of Goddess Ganga. Other less known Cattle Fairs of India are Karauli Cattle Fair,Nalwari Cattle Fair,Kunda Mela,Ramdeo Cattle Fair and Kulkunda Cattle Fair.

Gangapur Cattle Fair in Rajasthan

Top Festival and Fairs of India

India is the land of festival and fairs, each day of year is celebrate as a festival at some part of country. To know India and its different culture and traditions explore the sites with us during these major festivals of states. There are so many major festival in India celebrate on the different point of year at different region some of the famous Indian festival and places are Makar Sankranti in Gujarat Krishna Janmashtami in Mathura and Maha Shivaratri in Varanasi and Deoghar Yatra.

Ganesh Festival - Mumbai

The Mumbai Ganesh festival is celebrated on the auspicious Occasion of birth of  the Lord Ganesha. The elephant headed god Ganesha is a Hindu deity of success,remover of Obstacles and intellect and wisdom. Lord Ganesh is the patron deity of Maharashtra but also worshiped all across India. The 11 days Ganesh Festival is celebrated with a huge pomp and show on the streets of Mumbai, Juhu Chowpatty beach is the popular immersion point in Mumbai. Ganesh Chaturthi usually falls between 20 August and 15 September every year.

Ganesh Visharjan @ Juhu - Mumbai

Durga Puja/Navratri - Kolkata

Navratri, the festival of nine nights dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Shakti.This festival is known as Durga Puja in Kolkata. Durga Puja is the biggest festival of West Bengal state and celebrated for 10 days across the state as well as in country. Kolkata Durga Puja is very famous as thousand of Durga pandals are set up across the streets and adorned with lights. Festival of Durga Puja falls in the month of September-October every year.

Durga Pooja - Kolkata

Kumbh Mela - Allahabad

Kumbh Mela is a the biggest Hindu pilgrimage where Hindus gather from every corner of the world for at the bank of holy rivers Ganges and Godavari for a holy bath for purification from sin.Kumbh Mela is the largest human gathering in the world for a religious purpose. Kumbh Mela is celebrated in every 12 years and attracts around 70 million people around the world, Major attraction of Kumbh Mela is the saints,sadhu,naga sadhus and yogis who live in caves and jungles gather here to bless the people. The Kumbh Mela will start on 27-January-2013 at Allahabad.

Naga baba's at Kuimbh - Allahabad

Carnival - Goa

The state of Goa celebrates its one of the biggest festival of the year, the Goan carnival festival. Carnival at Goa is not stop three days and nights festival of fun,entertainment,song,music and colors. Goa Carnival is one of the most awaited festival and attracts many tourists from all over the world. Konkani dance, Street plays and Grand feast are few major attraction of Goa Carnival festival, It will be starting in February 2013,get ready for food,dance,music and fun.

Goa Carnival

Braj ki Holi - Barsana

Holi is the most popular festival of colors, celebrate by Hindus across the Indian subcontinent. Its a religious spring festival celebrated for the beginning of the new season and a religious purpose of Holika Dahan and Prahlada. The Braj region of India is famous for its 16 days traditional holi celebration,some time Braj Region of Mathura, celebrate Holi for a month and two. Latthmaar Holi of Barsana is the major attractions of the city where women beat up men with sticks.

Lathmar holi in Braj

Bihu Festival - Assam

Bihu is the biggest festival of Indian state Assam, there are three Bihu festival celebrated at the different point of years Bohaag in the middle of April,Maagh in the middle of January and Kaati in the middle of October. The Bohaag is called as Rongali Bihu is the major Bihu celebrated on the occasion of the Assamese New Year. Bihu dance and Bihu folk songs are the major attraction of the festival along with the tribes of Assam.

Bihu Festival - North East India - Assam

Dussehra - Bastar

Dusshera or Vijayadashmi is the most popular Indian festival celebrated on the 10th day of Navratri. Vijayadashmi is celebrated on the marks of victory of good over evil,victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura and Lord Rama over Ravana. Bastar is a district of Chhattisgarh, where the Danteshwari Temple is located, one of the 52 Shakti Peethas in India. Every year during the Dusshera all tribes of Dantewada, Bastar region,surrounding villages and jungles gather at Danteshwari Temple to pay homage to the goddess Danteshwari. Bastar Dussehra festival is one of the most popular tourist attraction of the state.

Dusshera - Vijayadashmi - Batsar

Chhath Puja - Bihar

Chhath Puja is the oldest Hindu festival dedicated to God Sun or Surya, the god of energy and life.The festival is celebrated mostly in Bihar, Jharkhand, Eastern region of Uttar Pradesh. Chhath Puja is a four days festival include holy bath,fasting and offering prayer to setting and rising sun. Its unique religious and the most respectable festival in state of Bihar. Chhath Puja will be celebrating on the month of November in 2013.

Chhath Pooja - Bihar

Jagannath Rath Yatra - Puri

The Festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannatha, held every year at Puri in the tribal state of Orissa. The 10 day’s ratha yatra is commemorates Lord Jagannath’s, annual visit to Gundicha mata’s temple a short distance away. Thousands of pilgrims come to Puri during the festival with an desire to help pull Lords chariot with ropes. This is the only day when devotees who are not allowed in the temple premises such as non-Hindus and foreigners, can get their glimpse of the deities.

Jagannath Rath Yatra - Puri - Orrisa

Sabarimala Temple - Kerala

The Grand festival of Sabarimala Temple is celebrated in honor of Lord Ayyapa, Sabarimala is located in the Pathanamthitta District in Kerala at Western Ghat mountain ranges. Sabarimala Temple Festival is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world with 45–50 million devotees per year. The Hindu God Ayyappan worship only during the days of Mandalapooja one of days between November 15 to December 26.

Sabrimala Temple - Kerala