The haunting beat of the drums exercises a mesmeric hold on the rows of dancers. Men and women stomp their feet and clap their hands in perfect unison as they perform the Hudo raas, an old Gujarati folk dance.For centuries, on the third day of the 11th month of the Hindu calendar, a three-day fair is held at Tarnetar village in Gujarat's Surendranagar district. The fair, which draws more than two lakh people, serves as a match-making venue for boys and girls from the Bharwad community.Legend marks the village as the place where Arjun won Draupadi's hand by an unparalleled feat of archery. The exact spot is reputed to be in front of an ancient Shiv temple. Called Trineteshwar Mahadev, the temple forms a magnificent backdrop to the fair. Built by the Solanki king Mandhata in the eighth century, it was rebuilt in 1901 AD by King Karnasinhji Jhala. Three lakes surround the temple and bathing in them is considered sacred as it is believed that the Ganges enters the lakes on Rishi Panchami day which falls on the second day of the fair. Says Dhuliben Bharwad, a regular at the fair: "We can't afford to bathe in the Ganges. So a dip here is a must."Earlier, when a Bharwad boy fell in love with a girl from his community, they eloped leaving a trail of bloody feuds. On rare occasions, the boy's family would start negotiations with the girl's family. Feuds are now a thing of the past and marriages are arranged in a more civil fashion.When a boy falls in love with a girl, he asks her directly: "Ghar mandvu che (Want to set up your house with me)?" On getting a favourable reply, his family approaches the girl's father and a date is agreed upon. Says Bhanabhai Bharwad, 26, who fell in love with Manek after meeting her at the fair and later married her: "For the Bharwads since ages the Tarnetar fair has been a hunting ground for spouses."The fair is a riot of colours. In keeping with ancient mating rites, boys and girls come resplendent in all their finery. While boys sport colourful pachedis (short dhoti), intricately embroidered jackets and colourful headgears, the girls look stunning in colourful backless cholis and chunky silver ornaments. Such is the enthusiasm which the fair generates that many people come from as far away as 100 km. They travel in buses, jeeps and tractors. In ancient times, people came on camel backs or in bullock carts and carried with them a week's provisions. Some people still cling to tradition and come in magnificently caparisoned bullock carts. Horse and bullock cart races are a major draw..preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}Earlier a bharwad boy and girl in love eloped leaving a trail of bloody feuds. Now the marriages are arranged in a more civil fashion. Intricately designed umbrellas are another attraction. As the fair is held during the end of the rainy season, people bring their umbrellas with them. While some of the beautifully embroidered umbrellas have images of Ganesh on them, others have those of Shiv. An intricate umbrella can take anything from three months to a year to make and its cost can vary from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.To keep the tradition alive, the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) started an umbrella competition some years ago. However, the number of carefully crafted umbrellas has gradually fallen. Earlier, there used to be at least 48 such exquisite umbrellas, now one can barely see a dozen. While spiralling prices are the prime reason for this, another is the lack of incentives. The first prize of 1,500 barely covers the making cost. Says Kanabhai, who has been participating in the competition for many years: "How will the art survive when the first prize is less than half or sometimes one-third of the actual cost?"The traditional charm of the fair is gradually fading. While shirts are fast replacing the colourful upper garments that the boys used to wear, the headgear too is generally missing. Fewer Bharwad girls don heavy silver ornaments. The fair is no more confined to the Bharwads but includes members of the Koli, Khant, Kanbi, Rabari and Charan communities. Says TCGL Managing Director Jayant Parimal: "The modern influence is inevitable. Next year, we will urge sarpanches to convince people to wear traditional dresses."Three days of festivities over, Tarnetar returns to peace and quiet. Till the next fair dawns.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Nov 9, 1998--- ENDS ---
