In the rural local languge what is known as 'tarnetar' is in Sanskrit 'Trinetra' or the Third Eye of Lord Shiva. The palce may look deserted of other thues, but a Fair is held here every year and people from Gujarat and other parts of India flock here. Now even foreigners come to attend in a large number. It is so colorful and attractive a fair. It is like the height of folk arts and all communities gather here.

Ahirs, Rabaris, Kathis and Bharvad are but a few of these who come to attend wearing their distinct and colorful dresses, so well embroidered and showy. The young persons, wearing their tops called 'Kedia' also flaunt caps and pagdis with colorful and ornamental tufts. The young women show off their highly attractive and embroidered long skirts that encircle their comely bodies as they vigorously dance their items in 'ras' with the help of two sticks or 'dandiya' and also perform a dance known as 'Chhatri nritya'. The people enjoy themselves as they sing devotional songs with folk musical instruments like 'dhol', 'kansijodan' etc. The entire atmosphere is charged with excitement, pleasure and romance of men and women. The dancing is vigorous, music earshattering and yet beautifully rhythmic. The rolls of cameras of the visitors fall short of the moments they want to catch in print. The 3 days of the blight half of the month of Bhadarva, i.e 4th, 5th and 6th days, are the Fair days.

The temple of Tarnetar is surrounded by several small shops or 'hat', selling goods to visitors and those who traditionally attend the Fair may need. The games of chance and merry-go-rounds etc. dot the area. The people are here to enjoy the collective fair, and do it heartily with all types of games, dances and eatables. The glimpse of the life of people is seen here at the Tarnetar Fair, 'Rangmelo', 'Umangmelo'

The Trinetreshvar Mahadev temple aroud which the Fair takes place was built in the memory of Km'anba; the daughter of the Lakhpat king Karansinhji, in 1902. In the front of the temple is a 'kund' and a tulsi plant. The style is used by the Sompura in other shiva temples too. The popular legend says that the 'Svayamvara' of Draupadi took place and Aljuna won her by his 'Matsyavedh' here. That mayor may not be the case in fact, but in spite of slowly turning more urban and modern, the Tarnetar Fair still remains worth a visit.

The beautiful land of Saurashtra, their joyful and colorful people, the winding mountains and generous ocean, forests ringing with wild animals' cries and lions' roars, large armies of milk cattle and their shepherds, beautiful villages and royal and attractive cities ... the numerous stories of bravery and great devotion, Gods and Goddesses on every mountaintop, and 'palia' or memorial stone in the woods outside the villages, telling the stories of love, romance, and bravery against great odds, historical stories of persons as well as rulers of exceptional qualities, homes of the ordinary and extraordinary people, the 'Madh' of Mother Goddesses, the history coming down from pre-historic ages, the songs, 'duhas;, bhajans and rsasdas, the people, the colorful dresses and skilled handicrafts, jewelrey and largeheartedness ...

TRINETRESHWAR

A legend says that it had become necessary to kill the demon Tadkasur by a son of Lord shiva and for this a son had become imperative. Therefore Lord Indra ordered Kamadeva, the Lord of Pleasure (Cupid) to send his Anow of DeSIre into the heart of Lord Shiva and incite in him physical desires so that he would beget a son by his wife. But Lord Shiva, hurt with this gesture while he was doing his penance, became angry and through his Third Eye sent so deadly a fire that Kamadeva was reduced to ashes! Kamdeva's wife, Rati, then begged Mahadev to restore her husband to her. Lord Shiva relented and asked her to till Dvapara Yuga, when Kamadeva would be born on Earth as the son of Krishna and then he would many Rati again. Therefore Rati built a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva's Third Eye - Trinetra - and worshipped him here until Dvapara Yuga and observed an ascetic life.

RENNOVATION OF TARNETAR

This temple had turned into ruins and in 1002, the king of Lakhpat, Karansinhji renovated it and installed the Image of God once more. A 'kund' of 8 to 10 steps surrounds the temple on three sides. The structure is based on the style of 14th century. The ASI has declared it a Protected Site. Several times renovations have been undertaken in parts. It looks as if the temple is of a style prior to the Solanki period.

Dr. Burgess had taken photographs of this temple in 1890. Shri Madhusudan Dhankis put the time of the temple at 925 AD but from the photographs of Dr. Burgess it seems to belong to 11th century.