Gujarat’s Tarnetar fair, which attracts a large number of tourists from across India and abroad, will not be held for the second year in a row this year due to the coronavirus situation, a senior official said onSaturday.
The annual fair at the Trinetreshwar Mahadev temple in Tarnetar village is held annually for three days in August-September.
"But it has been cancelled this year as well due to the prevailing pandemic situation and the Gujarat Government's latest Covid-19 notification that prohibits gathering of more than 400 people in a public programme," Surendranagar district collector A K Aurangabadkar said.
The State notification allows all temples to remain open for prayers and other rituals, but devotees will have to follow the Covid-19 norms, he said.
"It has also been decided that Tarnetar fair will not be allowed to be held this year due to the coronavirus situation. But devotees can visit the temple to offer prayers," he said, adding that the fair was cancelled last year as well due to the pandemic.