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FESTIVAL · FOLK FAIR · PANCHAALTarnetar Fair
Gujarat's most colourful folk fair — the Tarnetar mela, a three-day explosion of embroidered umbrellas, tribal finery, raas dancing and a famous matchmaking tradition.
A festival of colour & courtship
Each year in the Hindu month of Bhadarvo (around August–September), the quiet fields around the Trinetreshwar temple at Tarnetar erupt into the Tarnetar fair — one of the most famous and photogenic folk fairs in all of India. For three days the Panchaal countryside fills with tens of thousands of villagers in their dazzling best.
Men of the Bharwad, Rabari and Koli communities appear in mirror-worked finery, twirling the fair’s signature hand-embroidered umbrellas (chhatris), and dancers perform raas, garba and the hudo folk dances to the beat of drums. The fair is legendary above all for its matchmaking tradition — by custom, young men once carried the decorated umbrellas to signal they were seeking a bride, and families came to arrange marriages.
Alongside the colour and courtship are folk sports, livestock, crafts and fairground bustle. Coinciding with worship at the Shiva temple, the Tarnetar fair is a joyous, unforgettable immersion in living Gujarati folk culture.
Folk finery at the Tarnetar fair.
A fair where people came to find a partner
Crowds at the Tarnetar mela.
A mela grows around the Trinetreshwar temple.
Hand-embroidered chhatris become its emblem.
Young people traditionally seek partners here.
One of India's most famous folk fairs.
Reasons to make the time
Embroidered umbrellas
The fair's signature.
Tribal finery
Mirror-worked dress.
Folk dances
Raas, garba, hudo.
Matchmaking mela
A famous tradition.
Folk sports & livestock
Fairground life.
Living culture
Panchaal folk heritage.
What to look for inside
FINERYFolk dress
Mirror-worked best.
THE MELAFairground
Colour and crowds.
UMBRELLASChhatris
The fair's hand-embroidered umbrellas.
DANCEFolk dances
Raas, garba and the hudo in full swing.
CROWDSThe gathering
Tens of thousands of villagers in their best.
CRAFTFolk crafts
Livestock, sports and fairground stalls.
How to spend an hour or two
Time the fair
Plan for Bhadarvo (Aug–Sep), when the mela fills the fields around the temple.
See the umbrellas
Seek out the embroidered chhatris — the fair's famous signature and matchmaking symbol.
Watch the dances
Catch raas, garba and the energetic hudo folk dances performed to drums.
Admire the finery
Take in the tribal costume and craft — mirror-worked dress in dazzling colour.
Worship at the temple
Visit the Trinetreshwar Mahadev shrine the fair grows around.
Soak the atmosphere
Wander the folk sports, livestock arenas and stalls for the full fairground buzz.
Embroidered umbrellas at Tarnetar.
A fair-ground of folk culture
The Tarnetar fair transforms the fields around the Trinetreshwar temple into a vast folk fair-ground each Bhadarvo: rows of stalls, performance grounds for raas and hudo, livestock and folk-sport arenas, and crowds in their finest mirror-worked dress carrying the fair’s famous embroidered umbrellas.
It is an event rather than a monument — a three-day spectacle of colour, dance, courtship and craft that is one of the great living expressions of Saurashtra’s folk culture.
For everything else the district holds, see our Surendranagar travel guide.
Three-day folk fair
Embroidered umbrellas (chhatris)
Raas, garba & hudo dances
Traditional matchmaking mela
When to go
Cool and clear — the best season across the district.
Green; the Tarnetar fair falls now.
Hot and dry — visit early or late.
⏰ Plan your visit for the fair dates in Bhadarvo (around September); go by day for the dances, colour and crafts.
Timings & entry
- Held in Bhadarvo (Aug–Sep)
- Liveliest by day
- Expect huge, joyful crowds
- Allow a full day
- The fair is free to attend
- Very crowded — mind belongings
- Respect performers and customs
- Combine with the temple & Panchaal
Getting there
By Air
Rajkot airport is nearest.
By Rail
Than/Surendranagar railheads.
By Road
At Tarnetar, near Thangadh.
At the fair
COLOUR & DANCE
A spectacle of folk culture
What to shoot
The embroidered umbrellas.
Finery
Mirror-worked dress.
Action
Folk dances in full swing.
Be respectful
Ask before close portraits.
Know before you go
More to see close by
3Wadhwan Heritage
Surreal white salt works glittering at sunset
WILDLIFEWild Ass Sanctuary
The last refuge of the Indian khur
HERITAGESurendranagar-Wadhwan
The twin royal town of the district
Zinzuwada Gates
The Zinzuwada Gates are the surviving fortified gateways of Zinzuwada, an old walled village on the…
SAFARIBajana
The classic Little Rann safari base
SALT PANSPatdi
Glittering salt works at the Rann’s edge
Where to eat near Tarnetar Fair
THALIKathiawadi Thali
Rotla, kadhi, shaak and ghee-rich fare.
GANTHIYAGanthiya & fafda
Saurashtra's fried snacks.
STREETChaat & bhajiya
Lively local street food.
Veg & fair food
Veg fare; fair-ground treats at Tarnetar.
Tarnetar Fair FAQ
What is the Tarnetar fair?
A famous three-day Gujarati folk fair at Tarnetar, around the Trinetreshwar temple.
When is it held?
In the Hindu month of Bhadarvo, around August–September.
What's it famous for?
Embroidered umbrellas, tribal finery, folk dances and a matchmaking tradition.
Who attends?
Tens of thousands of villagers, especially Bharwad, Rabari and Koli communities.
Is there an entry fee?
No — the fair is free.
Where is it?
At Tarnetar, near Thangadh in Surendranagar.
What's the matchmaking tradition?
Young men once carried decorated umbrellas to signal they sought a bride.
What else is nearby?
The Trinetreshwar temple, Thangadh and the Panchaal hills.
Related places across Gujarat
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 24 August 2026