The ancient Trineteshwar Temple in Tarnetar is located at a distance of 9 kms from the town of Thangadh. It is believed that the temple belongs to the Solanki Era. The Pratihara kings, predominantly the worshippers of Lord Shiva were great builders and architecturally brilliant. They were ardent patrons of art and sculpture.
It is called Trineteshwar Mahadev as Lord Shiva opened his third eye here to burn Kamdev. It is also popular belief that Draupadi’s swayamvar happened here and Arjun, one of the five Pandavas performed Matsyavedh where there is a Tulsi Kyara at present.
The small hamlet of Tarnetar about 35 kms from the Ambika Nivas Palace, Muli is the site for one of Gujarat’s most well known annual fairs, The Trineteshwar Mahadev Fair popularly called the Tarnetar Fair. The Mela (Fair) is held for 3 days in the period between August-September.
Like all important tribal fairs, it is attended by Tribes from the adjoining areas of Bharwad, Rabari, Khant, Koli, Kanbi, Charan, etc who indulge in dancing, competitive sports and entertainment during the fair. There are hundreds of stalls selling food, exhibiting arts and crafts, livestock, etc.
This fair is primarily a ‘Swayamvar’ or a marriage mart for the tribal youth who still visit the fair to look for a suitable bride. The tribal youth are elegantly dressed in colourful dhotis, waistcoats and eye-catching headgear, visit the fair to be chosen by the tribal village belles dressed in colourful finery. The bachelors are usually identified by their large colourful embroidered umbrellas. These umbrellas which have become the emblem of the Tarnetar Fair are embroidered by the tribal youth for months.
The fair is held around the Trineteshwar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. There is a kund (reservoir) here and it is believed that a dip in its water is as holy a dip in the Holy River Ganges. The reservoir is known as Papnashu (Destroyer of Sins).