Home >> Fairs
& Festivals of Rajasthan >> Camel Festival
Camel Festival
The Camel Festival is an event organized in Bikaner by the Department of
Tourism, Art and Culture, Government of Rajasthan, every year in the month
of January. Desert region's Folk dances and Music, add on to what is otherwise
an exclusive camel affair. A festival when the ships of the desert are seen
at their best. Camels fascinate tourists from all over the world with their
movements, charm and grace. A spectacle of unusual camel performances: camel
races, camel dances, and the bumpy, neck shaking camel rides.
Activities
The festival starts with the procession of beautifully decorated camels.
The procession heads towards the open sand grounds. Here, the festivities
begin in earnest. The Camel Pageant is held on the first day wherein the
camel owners show off their Camels' decorations and jewellery. Camel dance
performances are also held. A competition for best decorated camel, fur
cutting design, camel milking and the best camel hair cut is organized The
camels display amazing footwork, dancing gracefully to the slightest direction
of their drivers. Colourful bridles, bejewelled necks, jingling anklets
and long, lanky camel shadows on dusky sands, cast a magical spell.
In this festival tea and sweets prepared by camel milk are made available
to the visitors interested in enjoying them.
On the second day, the fleetest camels of the region take part in the camel
races. The competition is fierce as the best camels vie for the honors.
Thousands of excited tourists and locals cheer the favorites.
On both days, the evening ends with a rendezvous with the renowned folk
artists of Rajasthan. The jubilant, skirt swirling dances, the awe inspiring
fire dances and many other equally interesting performances entertain the
visitors. The grand finale is a magnificent display of fireworks which illuminates
the desert city of Bikaner.
History
Situated in the heart of the desert belt, Bikaner was always an inaccessible
land. Before the advent of modern motor vehicles, the survival of the people
of this region depended on the 'Ship of the desert' - the Camel. The camels
of this region were famous for their endurance as well as their strength
and beauty.
In fact, the Bikaner army had an elite camel corps called the Ganga Risala
which took active part in both the World Wars. The Ganga Risala was a Camel
unit in the army even after the independence and it took part in Indo-Pak
wars. Bikaner also boasts of the only Camel breeding center in India.
Camel can still be seen pulling heavy loads on carts in this region. With
such a long association with Camels, it is but natural that the Department
of Tourism, Art and Culture chose to hold the Camel festival in Bikaner
.
Places to see
Bikaner is famous for Junagarh Fort, The Suraj Pol or Sun Gate, Lal garh
Palace, Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum, Gardens and Parks and many more.
|
|
