The fair is a hundred years old and the legend two thousand. Mythology has it that Arjun performed the greatest feat of archery ? the matsyavedh ? here and won a pleased Draupadi. Old habits die hard: Tarnetar is still the stage for swayamvars, if 20th century ones. The fair, held near the Trinetreshwar temple here, abode of the three-eyed Shiva, is a mass meeting ground for thousands of maritally-inclined young men and women. At the fair ground, a huge, colourful affair, the men strut about like peacocks, flaunting their talents: looks, money or even acts of daring. If a girl is suitably impressed, there is hard bargaining with her parents, and if the parents are impressed, the lucky man carries a brand new wife back home. The men, mostly from the Koli, Ahir and Maldhari tribes in Surendranagar, try hard. In the modern version of the swayamvar, they participate in horse and bullock-cart races and sometimes even ?money-races?, in which the man with more cattle leaves behind his less fortunate competitor and wins a bride. Lakhpatbhai, one such proud koli youth who won Samriben for his bride, cannot hide his joy. ?Dekho,? he says, smiling at the coy young girl, ?Women have to be looked after. I have more land and cattle than her father. Obviously he had no problems giving us his blessings.? But Dhansukh was less fortunate: he has been coming to the fair for five years, and every year has to go home alone. He is not one to give up, though. ?I have promised myself that if I marry it will be here. Next year I will come again and try my luck. Who knows...?, he sighs, on a hopeful note. A group of frenzied young boys perform the hudo dance to the ear-shattering beat of dholaks, while giggling girls look on encouragingly. As Kanchanbhai Koli screams ?haal bhai, haal,? and leaps four feet above the ground, a clearly impressed Paniben says: ?If he asks me for my hand, I will say yes.? The fair, however, is losing some of its glory. While five years back the Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation reported five lakh visitors, this year they say there were no more than two lakh. Unavailability of water accounted to an extent for the low turnout this year. The water required at the fair is equivalent to the entire year?s water supply there. This is not a pleasant thought to a population worried about failing crops and dying cattle, though the local administration has dug a number of borewells here. As Ramesh Patel of the tourism corporation says: ?This year saw a huge population from these parts migrate to cities due to the failed monsoon. Under these circumstances, who could possibly be in the mood for merry-making? They are more concerned about feeding the family they already have.? But for the young men at large, hope springs eternal. Long after the drums have stopped rolling and silence has taken over the night, a group of young men take a holy dip in the kund near the abode of the three-eyed Shiva. They did not get brides this time. But there?s always next year.