Festivals In September
Tarnetar Fair
If you think you are prepared to walk out of your mundane experience and free-fall into a whirlwind of colors, romance and music, then head for the Tarnetar Fair.
Based on the legend of Draupadi’s swayamvara, this fair is a celebration of ethnic Gujarat’s folk-dance, music, costumes and the arts, centered around young tribal men and women seeking marriage partners. But even for those not interested in finding a spouse, the romance and excitement in the air are captivating, and every year the fair seems only to grow in popularity, attracting visitors and tourists from Gujarat, elsewhere in India, and even abroad.
Here the many colorful costumes, glittering ornaments and free-spirited movements of folk dances, all combine to create a memorable scene. As the dancers surge in waves of circular movement, the incessant throbbing of the drums keeps them moving in unison, and the drum beats continue throughout the day even as the dancers change from one group to the next. Many kinds of folk dances are performed; by far the most popular is the raas, in which dancers hold sticks to clack against those of other dancers. As many as one to two hundred women perform rasadas in a single circle, to the beats of four drums at a time and the tunes ofjodia pavas (double flutes). You may also see people break out into a spontaneous hudo.
Ravechi fair
There is a temple dedicated to Ravechi Mata on the bank of a large pond, built in 1821 (Samvat 1878) at a cost of £633 (24,000 Kutch koris). The temple is 30 feet long 17 broad and 54 high with two domed porches, the first 7 feet square and the second 14 feet by 7, and a shrine 14 feet by 13 raised on a platform 44 feet high. In the shrine, smeared with red paint and butter and with five other images at her side, is a large statue of Ravechi Mata and opposite it Naklank or the Horse incarnation standing on three legs on a pillar. The goddess is highly venerated by the people of Vagad region of Kutch. Out of the temple income about 500 cows are maintained, and travelers are fed daily with milk, curds, and bread.
Ambaji Fair
Ambaji Fair is held at Ambaji in Danta taluka of Banaskantha district. Ambaji, 50 km away from Palanpur, creates the same atmosphere as every Poonam fair. But, in all, big fairs are held here on Purnima of Kaartik, Chaitra, Bhadarvo and Asho(Ashwina) months. In which ‘Bhadarvi Purnima’s fair’ is a very important and big fair.
Gujarat Festival in September
| Sep 10, Friday | Samvatsari (Chaturthi Paksha), Ganesh Chaturthi |
| Sep 11, Saturday | Samvatsari (Panchami Paksha) |
| Sep 19, Sunday | Rosh Hashanah (Yahudi) |
| Sep 27, Monday | Eve of Kippur(Yahudi) |
| Sep 28, Tuesday | Yom Kippur(Yahudi) |
Places to Visit in September
Polo Forest
General: Tucked away in a forest, there are secrets to be revealed. An ancient city, a gateway to Rajasthan. A hiding place for rulers, concealed from enemies, citizens, angry wives, even from the sun, tucked between sacred hills on the east and west. And the mystery of abandonment, decay.
Ancient temples, some still performing their pujas deep within this dense jungle, is itself the larger temple, and the trees themselves are the Gods.
Adivasi settlements, their lives rooted in their connection to the forest, from whom you might learn to listen to the deep hum of the world that envelops these scattered whispers of human constructions.
Come. Listen. Learn. Know your Self. You may return to your homes, your cities, your roads, but the forest will never leave you.
Friendly Tips: The fig trees, when loaded with fruits, are good places to look out for the endangered Grey Hornbill and Brown-headed Barbet who come to nibble. Grey Hornbills can also be found at a Banyan tree near the campsite, when it is out with its bright red fruit. On another tree on the other side of the camp look for woodpeckers, and fruit birds and prey birds at the top, especially during a particular half hour in the afternoon (the exact time of which continously changes).
