Trinetreshwar Mahadev Temple

Getting there

• By air

  The nearest airport is Rajkot, 75 km away.

• By train

  The nearest railway station is at Thangadh, 8 km from the fair, on the Ahmedabad-Hapa broad gauge line.

• By road

  Chotila, 25 km from Thangadh, has ST buses from Rajkot, Jamnagar, Ahmedabad and Porbandar.

Why devotees come here

Trinetreshwar Mahadev Temple stands in Tarnetar village, Surendranagar district, Gujarat. It is a Shiva temple in the Pratihara style, and the village is known for its annual fair, held in August and September.

Trinetreshwar Mahadev Temple is known for the Trinetreshwar Mahadev Mela, the annual fair held here. Legend says the fair has been held at Tarnetar since antiquity. Locals also believe the site was once the original course of the Ganga, so a dip in the temple tank is as auspicious as a swim in the holy Ganga.

Accounts of the first temple differ. One says Mihira Bhoja built it in the eighth century. Another says the old temple fell into ruin and the present one was built by the Gaekwads of Vadodara in the 19th century. The temple is an ornate example of the Gurjjar Pratihar style, built in Tarnetar village. It stands on the bank of a rivulet and opens into a kund, and three kunds surround it: the Vishnu, Brahma and Shiv kunds.

The fair is held on Bhadarva Sud 26 to 29 in the Hindu calendar, in August or September. One of its customs is the umbrella parade, where young men show embroidered umbrellas to attract brides.

Festivals

• Bhadarva Sud 26 to 29, in August or SeptemberTrinetreshwar Mahadev Mela (Tarnetar fair)

  Young men show embroidered umbrellas to attract brides, in a symbolic swayamvar tradition.

Tips for your visit

• Private bus companies serving the fair are listed at Tarnetar.com.
• Surendranagar town is 59 km away.

Questions people ask