You must have heard of cattle fairs and rural Olympics, but this one beats them all – an actual modern day swayamvar of sorts held in the quiet hamlet of Tarnetar in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat! A swayamvar is a practice where a girl of marriageable age chooses a husband for from a list of suitors and it was widely prevalent in ancient India. The Tarnetar Fair is a one of its kind tribal mela that draws thousands of locals as well as tourists from other parts of India and abroad. Tourists observe the courting and flirting, an essential part of the festivities and to be inspired by the local flavours, colours, costumes and traditions of indigenous Gujarati tribes. This year’s festival is due to begin on September 9 and will go on till September 11.
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