The five day event of Baneshwar Tribal Fair starts from Shukla Ekadashi of Magh month (Corresponds January to March), as per the Hindu calendar. It’s the biggest tribal fair of the country that attracts lakhs of devotees every year.
‘Baneshwar fair’ is in fact a combination of two fairs. One is held in reverence of ‘Baneshwar Mahadev’ (God Shiva). The second fair started after the construction of a temple in the reverence of Lord Vishnu by the daughter-in-law, Jankuwari, of Mavji, a well respected saint supposed to be Lord Vishnu’s incarnation.
Vaje and Aje, the two disciples of saint Mavji, constructed this temple of Laxmi-Narayan at a site close to the meeting point of Mahi and Som Rivers. The sacred day of Ekadashi of Magh month was the ‘Pran-Pratishth’ day for the deities of the temple. Thus the fair of this temple also starts from Ekadashi day. The large number of worshipers and devotees equally pay reverence to every deity present here during the fair.