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AUG–SEP · TARNETAR · MATRIMONIAL FAIRTarnetar Fair
Each Bhadarva, the fields by the Trinetreshwar Mahadev temple near Thangadh fill with colour — three days of folk dance, hand-embroidered umbrellas and the famous matchmaking of the Tarnetar mela.
A three-day mela of colour and courtship
The Tarnetar Fair is held over three days in the month of Bhadarva (August–September) at the Trinetreshwar Mahadev temple, near Thangadh in Surendranagar. It is best known as a traditional matrimonial fair, where young men and women of the Koli and Bharwad communities dress in their finest to seek a partner. The air fills with drumbeats, folk dance and a sea of hand-embroidered umbrellas held aloft.
A fair rooted in legend
The fair is held at the Trinetreshwar Mahadev temple at Tarnetar — Shiva as the three-eyed one, which is where the name comes from.
Tradition ties the site to Draupadi's swayamvar, and to Arjuna striking the fish's eye to win her hand.
It falls over three days in the month of Bhadarva, in August or September, with dates set by the Hindu calendar.
It remains what it has long been — a folk fair where young people of the Koli and Bharwad communities come to find a match.
Why come
Tarnetar chhatri
The embroidered umbrella is the emblem of the fair: young men carry chhatris they or their families have worked in mirror, bead and thread.
Folk dance
Raas and the Bharwad hudo are danced across the fairground for the full three days, in circles that form and dissolve continuously.
Matrimonial fair
The matchmaking is real and openly acknowledged — the umbrella is a signal that its carrier is looking for a bride.
Village finery
Village dress here is at its most elaborate: mirror-work, heavy silver, bandhani and embroidery on every side.
Temple visit
Trinetreshwar Mahadev, the three-eyed Shiva, is the shrine the whole fair is organised around.
Rural mela
Around the dancing runs a full country fair — stalls, rides, livestock, craft and food.
What to see
THE FAIRTarnetar
Three days of dance, courtship and country fair at the Shiva temple.
THE ICONThe umbrellas
Hand-embroidered chhatris in mirror and bead work, carried by young men seeking a match.
How to experience it
Come in Bhadarva
Check the dates before you plan. The fair falls in Bhadarva, August or September, and moves each year with the lunar calendar.
Visit the temple
Start at Trinetreshwar Mahadev, the temple the fair exists for, before working out into the ground.
See the umbrellas
Look closely at the embroidered umbrellas. Each is made by hand and no two are alike.
Watch the dance
Watch the raas and the hudo, danced by Bharwad and Koli groups across the whole fairground.
Feel the courtship
Understand what you are seeing. This is a working matrimonial fair, not a folk performance staged for visitors.
Browse the stalls
Buy craft directly. The embroidery, beadwork and leather sold here are made by the communities attending.
The great fair of Jhalawad
Few fairs capture rural Saurashtra like Tarnetar. The embroidered umbrella — stitched over months with mirrors, beads and thread — is both a courtship token and a work of folk art, and has become the emblem of the mela. Around it swirl the hudo and raas dances of the Bharwad and Koli herders, making the fair a vivid, three-day celebration of village life, love and craft.
Timing
The three fair days in Bhadarva, August or September, are the whole event; outside them Tarnetar is a quiet village.
The fair sits at the tail of the monsoon, when Saurashtra is green and the travelling is pleasant enough.
The rest of the year this part of Surendranagar is hot and dry, and there is little reason to make the drive.
⏰ The Tarnetar Fair runs for three days in Bhadarva (August–September); dates shift each year with the Hindu calendar.
Getting there
By Air
Rajkot (~90 km).
By Rail
Than / Surendranagar.
By Road
Near Thangadh.
More in Surendranagar
PILGRIM
Chotila Yatra
On the Ahmedabad–Rajkot highway, a thousand steps climb to the hilltop shrine of Chamunda Mata at Chotila — one of Saurashtra’s most-visited pilgrimages, thronged by travellers and devotees. Explore →
CRAFT
Tangaliya Weave
A 700-year-old handloom of the Dangasia community, Tangaliya builds geometric designs from tiny raised dots twisted into the cloth by hand — a GI-tagged craft unique to Surendranagar. Explore →
FOLK
Dayro & Bhavai
The living folk arts of Saurashtra — the dayro, an evening of song and storytelling, and Bhavai, the old Gujarati folk theatre of music, satire and stock characters. Explore →
What to eat
THALIKathiyawadi Thali
A hearty spread.
ROTLOBajra Rotlo
With white butter.
FAIRMela Snacks
From the stalls.
CHAASChaas
Spiced buttermilk.
Tarnetar Fair FAQ
What is the Tarnetar Fair?
A three-day folk fair held in Bhadarva, August or September, at the Trinetreshwar Mahadev temple at Tarnetar. It is best known as a matrimonial fair, where young people traditionally come to find a partner.
Where is it held?
At Tarnetar, near Thangadh in Surendranagar district, in the middle of Saurashtra. It is a village that becomes a small town for three days a year.
Why is it called a matrimonial fair?
Young men and women of the Koli and Bharwad communities, who come specifically to seek a life partner. The embroidered umbrella a young man carries is the signal that he is looking.
What are the Tarnetar umbrellas?
Hand-embroidered umbrellas worked in mirror, bead and thread, made within the family over months. They are the emblem of the fair and the thing photographers come for.
What dance is performed?
Raas and the Bharwad hudo, danced in circles across the fairground in full village dress, more or less continuously through the three days.
When should I visit?
During the three fair days in Bhadarva. The exact dates shift each year with the Hindu calendar, so confirm them before booking anything.
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026