The world-famous Tarnetar Fair in Gujarat's Surendranagar district hosted its popular Ladoo-Eating Competition as part of the Rural Olympics, drawing large crowds eager to witness the unique cultural event. Organised jointly by the Sports Authority of Gujarat, the Department of Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities, and the District Training Centre, the competition saw 28 participants aged between 25 and 75 years take part. Under the rules, contestants were given 30 minutes to eat as many sugar-sweetened gram flour ladoos served with dal as possible.
The atmosphere turned lively as spectators cheered on the participants. During the first 15 minutes, several contestants were eliminated after consuming an average of 15 ladoos. The contest eventually narrowed to five finalists, with the crowd erupting in applause as competitors crossed the 22-, 24-, and 26-ladoo marks.
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In a thrilling finish, Balwantbhai Raghavani, a resident of Ori village in Vinchhiya taluka and last year's champion, successfully defended his title by eating 28 ladoos in 30 minutes. As per the competition rules, he emerged as the sole winner and received a cash prize of Rs 2,000.
District Collector G H Solanki praised the enthusiastic participation and said the Tarnetar Fair reflects the region's cultural heritage, joy and community spirit. The event was also attended by Assistant Superintendent of Police Vaidika Bihani, Prant Officer K N Kacha, District Sports Development Officer Parth Chauhan, and other officials.
