The shamlaji fair also known as the kartik purinima fair is held during the month of November every year, this fair is held in shamlaji, about 80kms from A’bad, The Shamlaji temple is a renowned vaishnav shine , and the deity housed tere in is known by various names as gadadhar , bearer of the mace and shaksi gopal .The shamlaji fair is celebrated for about two weeks . More than 200000 people of various communities visit the shamlaji temple in the days leading upto the full moon night of the hindu month of kartik. They goto worship the deity and take  adip in meswo river. The visitors come here from the adjoining districks and from rajasthan. Besides visiting the deity in the temple they also take a bath in the river meshwo . The visitors usally coe in groups and sing devotional songs, carrying religious banners. Many members of the bhil community attend to pay respect to shamlaji, whom they refer to ad kaliyoDev (Park Divinity ). A large number of devotees arrive to the fair on foot. Singing devotional songs and carrying banners marked with sacred symbols. Temporary shops and rides add to the ambience of this picture squre site daring the
two-week celebration. The Shamlaji Melo, also called the Kartik Purnima fair is held in the month of November every year and lasts for about two weeks. It is attended by almost two hundred thousand people from adjoining districts and even from Rajasthan. Devotees belonging to various castes and communities including the Garasias and Bhils throng to this festival. These pilgrims come in groups, singing devotional songs and carrying religious banners to have a darshan (worship) of the deity at the Shamlaji Temple. The Shamlaji Temple is a renowned Vaishnav Shrine and the deity housed here is known by various names included Gadadhar (bearer of the mace) and Shaksi Gopal. The fair is also popular with the tribal people of the area, particularly the Bhils, who revere Shamlaji, the deity they refer to as “Kalio Bavji", the dark divinity. The temple is of great archaeological significance as it was built in the 11th century. Apart from a darshan of the deity in the temple, the pilgrims consider a bath in the river Meshwo essential. The Shamlaji shrine and the site boast of an ancient and glorious heritage. Thousands of tribal people flock to the Shamlaji fair.(Shamalaji alo known as Gadadhar Dev whose Name is also reflected in Thousand Name of Lord Vishnu Also known as Vihnu Sahastra Nama Who Created Bhrahma And Bhrahma Created This World. Those
Who had Crossed Bhrahma Is Known as Parbhrahma Who Claim Himself as Allah but He Also Does not know that in Lord Vishnu Who seems to be idle in Whom Thousands Of Universe Takes Birth every moment and get destroy every moment and in its birth he is not happy neither he is unhappy in the destruction of all the universe. Still he fulfills the desire of Bhakta. Bhakta is he Who associates or joins himself with Lord vishnu who was also known as Shree Krishna. Famous Saint Narsimh Mehta Write Hundi On the Name Of Shmalia Sheth in the time of his distress a type of promissory note which was honored by Shree Krishna, Shri Narsimh Mehta wrote poetry in the honor of Shri Krishna which became Mahatma Gandhi’s Prayer song. Numerous temples in ruins, ancient brick-work and scattered idols are found at Shamlaji which show that since ancient times it has been a popular and important center of pilgrimage on the highway between Gujarat and Rajasthan. Its antiquity has been further proved by the recent finds of a Buddhist stupa and a vihar at Dev-ni-Mori about a mile and a half from Shamlaji. The stupa is considered a sharir stupa i.e., one containing a fragment of the mortal remains of the Buddha. Remains of shrines of different religions show that the whole area around Shamlaji was once not only prosperous but an important center of civilization and culture. Also, there is a small shrine on the way from the Shamalaji Temple to the Meshwo river, where an image of a late-Gupta standing Ganesha which is still worshiped.

HISTORY

There are three legends behind the creation of this temple.
1. Lord Brahma once went on a journey to find out the best tirtha (sacred site) on the earth. After seeing and visiting a number of places, he came to Shamlaji, which he liked the most and performed penance there for a thousand years. Lord Shiva, pleased with him, asked him to perform a yajna (ritual). At the beginning of the yajna, Lord Vishnu manifested himself in the form of Shamlaji, and was enshrined at this place.

2. According to the Second story Vishwakarma, the architect of the Gods, constructed this temple in one night, but as it was morning by the time he completed it, he could not take it with him and had to return leaving it here.

3. Another legend has it, that an Adivasi found the idol of Lord Shamlaji while ploughing his land. He worshiped it by lighting a lamp everyday and was blessed for his faith by having an abundant yield in his farm. Hearing about this, a Vaishnava merchant built the temple and installed the idol therein, which was later beautified by the Idar rulers. Recently, a prominent business family has further renovated this temple.

WHEN

The Shamlaji Mela lasts for about three weeks, around the month of November. Kartik Purnima (Full moon night) is the most important day for the fair.