Travel Bucket List: Malaysia Part 13 – Pahang Part 3

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Cherating
A coastal town, which is one of the wettest places in Malaysia, Cherating is famous for its beach resorts. Cherating also has the distinction of being the location of Asia’s first Club Med. This town is a Malaysian seasonal destination famous for white-sand beaches, surfing and windsurfing. Cherating’s Bay is an ideal spot for swimming most of the year, while surfing is popular during the monsoon months. Outside of the surf season, Cherating is quite empty which only adds to the appeal. The best time to visit Cherating would be the dry season, between April to October as there are heavy monsoons here that might end up disrupting the trip.

The major attraction of Cherating is the giant leatherback turtles which migrate yearly to reside on the beaches here. The showstoppers, however, are the mystical fireflies which reside on the trees along the banks of the rivers. Cherating has a cultural village which sells traditional textiles and handicrafts. There is a turtle sanctuary located on Cherating’s beaches. The turtles lay their eggs in July and August.

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The Fireflies Tour is an hour-and-a-half-long boat tour which takes one through the waters of Cherating and explores the beauty of this popular beach town. The river cruise begins at 8 pm and has a fee of RM 35 per adult and RM 25 per child. The Malaysian Peninsula has only two natural lakes, both of which flow through Pahang and Lake Chini is one of them. It is Malaysia’s second-largest lake and is made up of a series of 12 smaller lakes. A tour of the lake takes one on a calm, serene ride through the lake with the tour guide reminiscing about the stories of the mythical dragon who lives in the lake and is the guardian of the lost city of gold which was once located underwater. The tour takes around 6.5 hours starting from any time between 8 am and 9:30 pm. The tour fee is 270 RM to 355 RM per child; and RM 520 to RM 757 per adult. An ATV ride lets one jump into one of the all-terrain vehicles and breeze through the beautiful sand beaches of Cherating. The ride fee is about RM 90 per person. At Cherating, one must not miss the opportunity to surf on the beautifully crested waves. There are many beachside surf clubs open for all which rent out surfing boards and surfing safety minikits.

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At the Cherating Turtle Sanctuary, one is allowed to watch the nesting turtles and also witness the return of the ones who migrate to the east-coast every year, but only under the expert supervision of the turtle rangers of the Cherating Turtle Sanctuary. There are special areas on the shore where these giant turtles come to lay their eggs and then head back towards the sea. This process can be observed more frequently during the months from May through September ideally when the tide is hidden. Visitors can take a tour which takes between 3.5 and 4 hours to complete and is free, but if one wants to set up a tent to observe their daily behaviour, the fee is RM 30 per person. The Mangrove Cruise on the Cherating River is an hour-and-a-half-long cruise that gives one the chance to learn about the importance of mangroves in the ecosystem and the ways to protect them. Taking 90 minutes to complete, it costs RM 35 per adult and RM 25 per child.

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Chendor Beach is a white sand beach with shallow and clear waters that provide a beautiful picturesque destination. The well-maintained beach is just the perfect place to unwind leisurely and hang out with your friends and family, especially during the mesmerizing sunrise and sundown. The beach is well known for surfing.

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Tioman Island
Lying about 32 km off the east coast of Malaysia, Tioman Island is 39 km long and 12 km wide and has seven villages, the largest and most populous being Kampung Tekek on the central western coast. The densely forested island is sparsely inhabited and is surrounded by numerous coral reefs, making it a popular scuba diving, snorkelling, and surfing spot. There are many resorts and chalets for tourists around the island, which has duty-free status. The island is accessed via ferry service from the coastal town of Mersing.

Tioman has been used for thousands of years by Austronesian fishermen as an essential navigation point and a source of fresh water and wood. During the past thousand years, it has played host to Chinese, Arab, and European trading ships, and often Chinese porcelain shards can be found on beaches around the island. In more recent history, Tioman played host to both the British and the Japanese navies during the Second World War. As a result, the waters around the island are littered with war remains, including HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales. The island does not allow buildings to have more than three stories.

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The marine area around Tioman Island and eight other nearby islands have been declared as marine parks and marine reserves. Apart from its diverse marine life, the inland rainforest area was protected in 1972 as the Pulau Tioman Wildlife Reserve. However, a large part of the original reserve was sacrificed for agricultural and touristic development in 1984; the remaining area is approximately 8,296 hectares. There are several protected species of mammals on the island, including the binturong, long-tailed macaque, slow loris, black giant squirrel, red giant flying squirrel, mouse deer, brush-tailed porcupine, and common palm civet, from a total of 45 species of mammals and 138 species of birds, including the majestic frigatebird. Tioman also has species that are endemic to its shores. The Tioman walking catfish Clarias batu can be seen on rainforest walks. The Kajang slender litter frog is only known to be found in Mount Kajang.

Tioman’s corals have been affected by a mass bleaching event in 2010 whereby the island lost a significant portion of its live coral cover. That resulted in many corals turning a dull white colour and some even fragmenting into pieces of dead coral skeleton. The 2016 bleaching event only touched on Tioman’s coral reefs, and as such, the coral has remained in good and healthy condition.

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According to legend, Tioman Island is the resting place of a beautiful dragon princess. Whilst flying to visit her prince in Singapore, this beautiful maiden stopped to seek solace in the crystal-clear waters of the South China Sea. Enraptured by the charms of the place, she decided to discontinue her journey. By taking the form of an island, she pledged to offer shelter and comfort to passing travellers. Local mythology claims that the island is the embodiment of the mighty dragon Sri Gumom. The dragon was on his way to visit his sister Gunung Linga or Lingin Peak. Still, the great Sri Rama forbade the meeting, and Sri Gumom was turned into a stone and fell into the deep sea where he now remains, frozen in eternity as this beautiful island with its distinctive topography.

Like mainland Malaysia, Tioman Island has a hot and humid climate, with sunny afternoons and warm evenings but cool nights. Temperatures are usually consistent and the calm weather peppered with occasional showers and storms. The tourist season peaks between May and August, when the weather generally displays the least rainfall. The monsoon winds begin to blow in October, bringing heavy rain and strong waves till January which is the start of the surfing season. During this time, ferries run once a day, while only a few hotels will open at discounted rates. Still sparsely populated, most villages are connected by sea taxi or speedboat or jungle trail, which means visitors usually stay at their first ferry stop for the entire trip.

Among the seven villages, Air Batang Village, more commonly referred to as ABC Village, Juara and Kampung Tekek are the prime destinations. Kampung Telek is the administrative centre and the largest village of Tioman Island. It is the major spot connecting the island to Mersing and Tanjung Gemok through ferries. Tioman Airport is also located in Kampung Tekek. Sunbathing at Paya beach, rustic relaxation at Genting Village, surfing at Juara Beach, hiking to Asah Waterfall, snorkelling at Salang and a visit to a Marine Park Information Center is a must.

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Overseas visitors to Tioman Island, are required to pay the Marine Park Fee which is RM 30. The most common way of getting to Tioman Island is by ferry from Mersing. Note that an entry fee of RM 10 known as Tioaman Toll has to be paid here. Ferries from Tanjung Gemok to Tioman Island need not pay a toll.

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Paya is a small village with a beach on Tioman’s west coast. It’s a popular tourist spot, especially for Singaporean visitors and families, with two major resorts and a small-budget hotel providing chalet accommodation. The beach area stretches slightly more than half a km and is a beautiful expanse of fine white sand fringed by gentle seas. The deeper waters off the jetty and neighbouring Tomok Island are where living coral reefs reside for snorkelling activities, while cooling mountain streams, spectacular boulder formations and lush rainforest views occupy Paya’s hilly backyard, with a dramatic view of Gunung Kajang. The village is named after its abundance of mangrove swamps or paya in the local language. Behind the tatty wooden huts and homes along the beach, a shallow river feeds through a rich mangrove landscape, with boats parked at deeper sections under the shade of a thick forest canopy. Nature lovers will appreciate the rich rainforest scenery, with a jungle trail from Tioman Paya Resort that leads to Rock Falls, a rocky stream with small pools for swimming. At the northern end of the village, visitors can follow another trail across a moderate slope that ends at a beach, Teluk Sri Intan and then continue their journey on a gravel road to the TAT Turtle Sanctuary, before exiting out to Tekek town through Berjaya Tioman Resort. Finally, at the southern end of Paya, a partly paved jungle trail leads to Genting Village.

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Genting is a large village along the west coast of Pulau Tioman, located between Paya and Nipah Village. It occupies a 1.5 km stretch of beach with a hilly backyard of lush rainforest. A favourite spot for mainland locals and Singaporean tourists, Genting has a sizeable collection of budget hotels and local restaurants clumped tightly along the beachfront. Weekends usually bustling with activity, people and karaoke music throughout the night. The sea here is moderately rocky, but the waters are clear while the large boulders give the landscape some aesthetic character. Most of the resorts offer chalet-based accommodations that spill along hill slopes from the beach.

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Tekek is the largest village of Pulau Tioman, located along a 3 km coastal stretch at the island’s central west between Paya and Ayer Batang. Essentially its capital and progressively being developed into a proper town, Tekek has basic modern infrastructure. It is also the gateway to Juara by overland transfer and a hub for duty-free shopping. Tekek also has the largest concentration of dive centres, with most offering full board accommodation. Tourist attractions in the area include the Marine Park while restaurants and hawker stalls are widely available.

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Salang is a popular beach destination north of Pulau Tioman, located along the west coast in a secluded bay. It attracts large crowds of global backpackers and is a great place for meeting people across the world over beer or two, with a good range of budget hotels along the beach and countryside. Salang is also a diver’s den, being the closest village to many reef sites and wrecks around Tioman, including Coral Island, Chebeh, Batu Malang and Fan Canyon. The last stop on the Mersing ferry route, Salang offers a good range of tourist facilities, activities and conveniences, backed by lush rainforest surroundings. The sea waters within this peaceful bay have great visibility, with warm stretches of sand along the shore and vibrant coral reefs under the ocean.

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Air Batang, or ABC Village as it’s popularly known, is a rural village along the west coast of Pulau Tioman, immediately north of Tekek. Located south of Panuba Bay and 3 km before Salang via the jungle trail, the village is a traditional backpacker hideout, with a high concentration of budget hotels offering basic accommodation, though quite a few resorts have upgraded their chalets in recent years. The beach is a linear 1.5 km stretch of sand, with emerald clear waters and lush landscapes. At low tide, the seabed reveals a pretty carpet of boulders, pebbles and rocks of various sizes. A few dive centres operate within the vicinity while local and western food is easy to be found. A quick boardwalk connects the west end of Air Batang to the Marine Park directly.

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Pulau Tulai is a small island off the coast of Tioman, more popularly known as Coral Island. Located about eight nautical miles north of Tioman’s west coast, the island can be seen clearly from the beachfront of Salang Village, the closest access point by speedboat. It is almost always included in any round-island snorkelling trip offered by tour operators and hotels. A favourite snorkelling spot, the sea waters around the island are rich with coral reefs and marine life while some famous dive sites can be found within its vicinity, such as Chebeh. Tour boats will land first at Pasir Panjang, the longest beach stretch on the island with relatively shallow waters. A second or third snorkelling session later will lead to Genting Bay and Batu Malang Rocks for deep water coral viewing.

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Pulau Renggis is a small island that sits off the coast of Tekek Village. A popular snorkelling spot included in most round-island tour packages, Renggis offers great visibility in relatively shallow sea waters, approximately 20 meters, abundant coral reefs, colourful marine fish and the opportunity to swim with resident harmless black-tip baby sharks. Sometimes, visitors can also spot sea turtles resting along the sea bed.

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Monkey Bay is a beautiful beach tucked behind Salang Village, accessible by a speedboat or a jungle trail. This sweeping bay has a beautiful beach with a calm pool of seawater and lush rainforest surroundings. It’s also an optional snorkelling spot on round-island tours by speedboat from any village, but visitors can also hike there in an hour from Salang. Conversely, the trail connects to Air Batang or ABC Village. Starting from there, it is an undulating two-hour trail through Panuba Bay and Monkey Beach before it hits the bay. As the trail is sometimes obscure, one should always follow the path that winds closest to the electric poles. Visitors who make the hike are rewarded by a sweeping beachfront that is secluded and tranquil.

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Marine Park is a coral sanctuary at Tekek located at its east edge, with an information centre opposite the beachfront that highlights Pulau Tioman’s underwater heritage. A popular snorkelling spot for tourists on round-island tours, the marine park has a limited number of coral reefs in the deeper waters, though there is a great amount of marine fish. A jetty extends from the small beach area, allowing visitors to walk out to the reefs and feed the fish without getting wet if they so desire; most will be snorkelling. Entrance to the marine park and the information centre is free; both are open from 9:30 am to 6 pm daily. During the monsoon months, the information centre is closed but the marine park remains open.

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One of the finest waterfalls on Tioman Island, the Asah waterfall is located at the semi-abandoned village of Kampung Asah off Mukut village and offers breathtaking views from the top. A beautiful cascade drops into a pool hemmed in by granite slabs, the waterfall is nestled within the lush greenery of Tioman’s rainforest. Often included in the itinerary of tour packages from speedboat operators and hotels, visitors can access the waterfall park via the jungle trail from Mukut.

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The famous Dragon Horns or Twin Peaks of Gunung Semukut, a mountain at Mukut Village, is Pulau Tioman’s most striking natural landmark. These two giant monoliths tower over the south coast of Tioman at approximately 700 meters high, with sharp pinnacles that resemble the horns of a dragon. One of Malaysia’s most sought-after rock climbing destinations, a trail begins from the base at Mukut Village and splits into different routes to attack different points of the mountain.

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The Juara Turtle Project or JTP is a sea turtle conservation centre at Juara Village, providing education to locals and visitors on the eco-management of this endangered marine species. The centre also runs a volunteer programme complete with half-board accommodation to help with patrols, research, repairs, cleaning, tour guiding, and turtle egg collection, incubation and release of hatchlings. Turtle nesting season lies between March and October; during this time, JTP volunteers roam around the island for wild nests, collect the eggs and transfer them to a hatchery for incubation. The babies are released to sea when hatched successfully. During the day between 10 am and 5 pm, the centre organises a guided conservation talk at a donation fee of MYR10 per pax.

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TAT or the Tengku Arif Temenggung Turtle Sanctuary is a turtle hatchery and conservation centre at Tekek Village, located along the gravel trail to Paya Village after the Berjaya Tioman Resort. Hidden on a beautiful secluded beachfront at Teluk Sri Intan Bay, the sanctuary comes under the royal patronage of Pahang together with the Department of Fisheries Malaysia. Currently, volunteers from the Juara Turtle Project collect the eggs laid during nesting season between March and October, transport them to their incubation site at Juara, and then release them back here once hatched. Visitors are free to visit and enjoy the beach at all hours but should be mindful to keep it clean.

In My Hands Today…

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Without Children: The Long History of Not Being a Mother – Peggy O’Donnell Heffington

A historian of gender explores the complicated relationship between womanhood and motherhood In an era of falling births, it’s often said that millennials invented the idea of not having kids. But history is full of women without some who chose childless lives, others who wanted children but never had them, and still others—the vast majority, then and now—who fell somewhere in between. Modern women considering how and if children fit into their lives are products of their political, ecological, and cultural moment. But history also tells them that they are not alone.
 
Drawing on deep research and her own experience as a woman without children, historian Peggy O’Donnell Heffington shows that many of the reasons women are not having children today are ones they share with women in the a lack of support, their jobs or finances, environmental concerns, infertility, and the desire to live different kinds of lives. Understanding this history—how normal it has always been to not have children, and how hard society has worked to make it seem abnormal—is key, she writes, to rebuilding kinship between mothers and non-mothers, and to building a better world for us all.

Short Story: The Purple Balloon

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Rohan
I have always loved Ganesh Chaturthi. The noise, music, and dhol, all add to the excitement and even though it’s school time, I always try to visit as many pandals as possible. I am a big boy now and after pestering Mukesh chachu for almost a year, he finally agreed to take me to see the Ganesh visarjan at Chowpatty. We will be taking a train and then walking to the beach. Ma and Baba are angry with chachu, and dada and dadi also don’t want us to go, but I am bih now, so this year I will go, come what may.

Today is Anantchaturdashi, so after having a hearty lunch, we set off for Chowpatty, the air buzzing with anticipation. My heart raced with excitement as we navigated through the crowded streets of Mumbai. Chachu held my hand tightly, guiding me through the sea of people, each one carrying a Ganesh idol towards the sea for immersion. On the way, we also saw some big idols, including Lalbaghcha Raja.

As we reached Chowpatty, the sight was breathtaking. Hundreds of colourful Ganesh idols lined the beach, surrounded by eager devotees singing and dancing in devotion. The scent of incense and the rhythmic beat of drums filled the air, creating an electrifying atmosphere.

“Look, Rohan!” Chachu exclaimed, pointing to the sky. “See those kites flying high? It’s like a festival in the sky too!”

I grinned and pointed to a group of children trying to fly their kites. Chachu, always playful, bought me a beautiful purple balloon from a vendor nearby. “Here, hold onto this, Rohan,” he said, tying it to my wrist. “This way, I’ll always find you, no matter what.”

The purple balloon floated above me, like a guardian angel watching over, as we continued our journey through the chaotic crowd. I felt safe and happy, knowing Chachu was with me and that the balloon would lead him to me if we got separated.

Mukesh
Being the youngest of my siblings, I felt a special bond with Rohan. He was born when I was in school and because the age gap is not too much between us, so we behave more like friends rather than uncle and nephew. When he pleaded with me to take him to Chowpatty for Ganesh visarjan, I couldn’t resist. I knew bhai and bhabhi and ma and baba wouldn’t approve, but I wanted to give him an unforgettable experience.

As we reached Chowpatty, I marvelled at the vibrant spectacle before us. The sea of colours, the sounds of devotion, and the spirit of unity overwhelmed me. Rohan’s eyes lit up with wonder, and I couldn’t help but smile at his excitement. I was so glad I was able to give him this experience he will not forget in a hurry.

To add to the magic of the moment, I bought him a purple balloon. His joy knew no bounds as he clutched it tightly. “Thank you, Chachu! This is the best day ever!” he said, his eyes sparkling like stars.

With Rohan holding my hand, we manoeuvred through the bustling crowd. But as the immersion rituals began, the chaos intensified. Chants of “Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudchyavarshi Loukar Ya” filled the air as people bid farewell to their beloved elephant-headed God by carrying them into the sea and bid him goodbye.

Someone pushed me from behind and I felt a tug on my hand. My heart skipped a beat and I looked down, but Rohan wasn’t there! Panic surged through me as I frantically searched the surrounding crowd, calling out his name. But the noise of the festival drowned my voice.

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Rohan
Suddenly my hand was torn from chachu and I found myself alone in the crowd. My heart raced as I realized I had lost Chachu. I tightened the balloon in my hand and started crying. I was scared, surrounded by strangers, and unsure of what to do. I walked a while, pushed and prodded by people who were eager to immerse their idols and get home.

After a while, I noticed a group of men and they, on seeing me crying came up to me. They knelt at my level and smiled reassuringly. One of them patted my shoulder gently and said, “Don’t worry, beta, tell us why you are crying”. When I told them my chachu was lost and I was missing my ma and baba, they laughed and told me “We’ll keep you safe until we find your chachu.”

They formed a protective circle around me, like guardian angels. One of the men lifted me and put me on his shoulders so that I could look out for chachu. He also took the purple balloon, which had become my lifeline and held it up as a beacon to signal Chachu where I was. With their reassuring presence, my fear subsided, and I felt a glimmer of hope.

Mukesh
My heart pounded in my chest as I continued searching for Rohan frantically. The festival seemed to have swallowed him whole, and I felt a wave of guilt wash over me for bringing him here against his parents’ wishes. I knew I had to find him before anything happened. I started thinking of all the worst things that can happen. An image flashed across my eyes of Rohan in the clutches of a gang which made children stand in the road and beg and I shuddered with anguish. I ran here and there trying to find Rohan, but could not see anyone resembling him in the crowd.

As I ran, my eyes caught a glimpse of a purple balloon floating above the crowd. It looked like the balloon I brought for Rohan and I was relieved to see it. “Was it Rohan’s balloon?” I didn’t know, but ran towards it because it gave me some hope. I followed its trail to a group of men, one of whom was holding the balloon like a beacon and another holding Rohan on his shoulder. I rushed to his side, my heart swelling with gratitude for these kind strangers.

“Chachu!” Rohan cried out, tears of relief streaming down his cheeks. I hugged him tightly, whispering words of reassurance. “I’m here, Rohan. I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” The men smiled warmly, patting Rohan’s back. “He’s a brave boy, and the balloon helped us find you,” one of them said.

Rohan
With chachu’s reassuring presence, the purple balloon back in my hand, and the group of kind men by our side, I felt safe once again. We continued to witness the visarjan of the Ganesh idols and I said a little prayer for bringing my chachu back to me, tightly holding chachu’s hand, not wanting to let go. As the sun set and the festival came to a close, we made our way back home, weaving through the now calmer streets of Mumbai.

I knew I had experienced something extraordinary that day, and it wouldn’t have been the same without the purple balloon and the caring strangers who protected me. I looked up at Chachu, grateful for his love and for keeping his promise to me.

ukesh
The experience of losing Rohan and finding him again had been a rollercoaster of emotions. I knew now, more than ever, that my duty as his uncle was to protect and cherish him. The purple balloon had played a crucial role in reuniting us, and I couldn’t help but smile at its significance.

As we walked back home, I held Rohan’s hand tightly in mine, vowing to never let go. The chaotic festival reminded me of the fragility of life and the importance of treasuring our loved ones. I sent a small prayer to Vignaharta, the remover of obstacles who brought my nephew back to me. Though we returned to the safety of our home, the memories of the festival and the purple balloon would forever remain etched in our hearts. I recounted this experience to my brother, bhabhi and parents and we all hugged Rohan once again, knowing that without the kindness of these strangers, our little boy may have been lost to us forever. The city of Mumbai, one again, showed us what it is made of. Exhausted, as I went to bed, the strains of the songs “Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan, Zara hatke zara bachke yeh hai Bombay meri jaan” came through the television of our neighbour and I smiled at the expansiveness of the city of my birth as sleep claimed me.

In My Hands Today…

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Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It – Ethan Kross

Tell a stranger that you talk to yourself, and you’re likely to get written off as eccentric. But the truth is that we all have a voice in our head. When we talk to ourselves, we often hope to tap into our inner coach but find our inner critic instead. When we’re facing a tough task, our inner coach can buoy us up: Focus – you can do this. But, just as often, our inner critic sinks us entirely: I’m going to fail. They’ll all laugh at me. What’s the use?

In ‘CHATTER’, acclaimed psychologist Ethan Kross explores the silent conversations we have with ourselves. Interweaving groundbreaking behavioral and brain research from his own lab with real-world case studies – from a pitcher who forgets how to pitch, to a Harvard undergrad negotiating her double life as a spy – Kross explains how these conversations shape our lives, work, and relationships. He warns that giving in to negative and disorienting self-talk – what he calls “chatter” – can tank our health, sink our moods, strain our social connections, and cause us to fold under pressure.

But the good news is that we’re already equipped with the tools we need to make our inner voice work in our favor. These tools are often hidden in plain sight – in the words we use to think about ourselves, the technologies we embrace, the diaries we keep in our drawers, the conversations we have with our loved ones, and the cultures we create in our schools and workplaces.

Brilliantly argued, expertly researched, and filled with compelling stories, ‘CHATTER’ gives us the power to change the most important conversation we have each day: the one we have with ourselves.

Festivals of India: Tarnetar Mela

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One of the best things about India is that there are so many colourful festivals one can witness and be a part of. several colourful and grand festivities. One of the many vibrant, but relatively unknown festivals is the annual Tarnetar Mela which takes place in Sundernagar in the western state of Gujarat. A tiny village about 56 km from Sundernagar, about 76 km from Rajkot and about 176 km from Ahmedabad, the village comes alive during the festival.

Being Saurashtra’s most important fair, the Tarnetar Mela is attended by more than 50,000 people, including the Kolis, Rabaris, Bharwads, Khants, Kanbis, Kathis, Charans, Harijans and the Desh-rabaris. The festival has its roots in the epic Mahabharata, specifically Draupadi’s swayamvar. Swayamvar is a type of marriage mentioned in Hindu history where a woman chose a man as her husband from a group of suitors. The word comes from Sanskrit where Svayam means self and vara means groom. At Draupadi’s swayamvar, the Pandava prince Arjun performed the difficult task of piercing the eye of a rotating fish with an arrow, by only looking at its reflection in the water, after which he won the heart and hand of Draupadi.

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The festival’s tradition is believed to have begun about 200 or 250 years ago and is held on the grounds of the temple of Triniteshwar Mahadev, which means the three-eyed God. The old temple that used to stand in Tarnetar is now in ruins, but a new one was built by the Gaekwads of Vadodara in the 19th century during the Solanki era and is now the focal point of the festival. It stands on the bank of a rivulet and opens into a beautiful kund or pond. Inside the temple, there is a Brahma Kund, a Shiva Kund, and a Vishnu Kund and it is believed that taking a plunge in these three water reservoirs is equivalent to taking a dip in the waters of the holy Ganges.

Fast forwarding to today, the three-day festival falls in the Bhadarva Sud or during August and September. This year the festival will take place between 18 to 20 September. The festival is a celebration of tribal Gujarat’s folk dance, music, costume and arts and is centred around young tribal men and women seeking marriage partners.

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The Tarnetar Mela covers a large part of the Tarnetar village with a huge number of stalls put up to sell beautiful local handicrafts unavailable elsewhere, along with ethnic jewellery, statues of deities and traditional attire with tiny mirrors embroidered into the clothing. There are also merry-go-round rides, photography stalls, magic shows and tattoo artists who attract a large variety of visitors.

Rabari women from Zalawad, which is close to Tarnetar perform the famous circular folk dance called rahado. Their marital status is indicated clearly by their costumes; a black zimi or skirt means she is married. But if a woman is wearing a red zimi, it means she has not yet tied the knot and is probably seeking a husband. The potential husbands seeking brides are elegantly dressed in colourful dhotis, artistically designed waistcoats and a head-cloth twisted at an angle, moving about the fairground at Tarnetar with striking umbrellas, advertising the bachelorhood they are keen to relinquish.

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The Kolis of Saurashtra initiated the custom of embroidering umbrellas, which are exquisitely elaborate in terms of embellishments. The embroidery of each is unique and rises from the edges to the top, with beadwork and patchwork in the design as well. Small colourful handkerchiefs are attached all around the edge, to attract further attention. These men spend over a year embroidering their umbrellas. They intend to entice the girls with their art, clothes, and headgear and impress them so that they can propose to them for marriage. It is not surprising that, before the fair is over, they usually meet the lady of their choice.

At the heart of the Tarnetar Mela lies a unique and heartwarming tradition — the swayamvar. This ancient matchmaking ritual allows young, unmarried women to choose their life partners from a group of eligible bachelors. Eligible men from various communities gather, each hoping to find their soulmate among the bevvy of beautiful women. It’s a sight to behold as the women circulate among the men, engaging in cheerful banter and trying to find a connection that transcends words. As modern influences blend seamlessly with tradition, young participants have the freedom to exchange phone numbers, engage in conversations, and even meet their potential life partners accompanied by their families.

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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 or the double flutes. One can also see people break out into a spontaneous hudo. Amidst the festivities, the Tarnetar Mela also champions essential social causes. Various NGOs and organisations set up stalls to raise awareness about health, education, and women’s empowerment.

There is music in the air with many bhajan mandalis or music groups and sadhus or holy men singing religious songs, accompanied by folk instruments. 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. At the fair, the many colourful costumes, glittering ornaments and free-spirited movements of folk dances, all combine to create a memorable scene. This is the vibrancy of India that mesmerises visitors and makes them come back.