Jaisalmer is the only place
where this rajasthan desert festival
is celebrated with great zest and zeal.
Rajasthan being a popular tourist destination,
the festival adds to its colorThis festival
is held once a year during winters . Dressed
in brilliantly hued costumes, the people
of the desert dance and sing haunting ballads
of valor, romance and tragedy. The fair
has snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats
and folk performers. Camels, of course,
play a stellar role in this festival, where
the rich and colorful folk culture of Rajasthan
is on show.
Activities
Visitors can come face
to face with the desert craftsmen. Exquisitely
embroidered skirts, hand-woven shawls, rugs,
carvings on wood and stone, camel decorations,
embroidered leather bags, ethnic silver
jewelry and terracotta are brought in from
all over the desert.
Evenings are meant for the main shows of
music and dance. Continuing till late into
the night, the number of spectators swells
up each night and the grand finale, on the
full moon night, takes place by silvery
sand dunes.
Camels are an integral part of the desert
life and the camel events during the Desert
Festival confirm this fact. Special efforts
go into dressing the animal for entering
the spectacular competition of the best-dressed
camel. To add some more fun and color, the
camel show has two unique events - the camel
polo and the camel dance.
Other interesting competitions on the fringes
are the moustache and turban tying competitions,
which not only demonstrate a glorious tradition
but also inspire its preservation. Both
the turban and the moustache have been centuries
old symbols of honor in Rajasthan.
How
to Reach
Air : Jackson Airways has
started flight to Jaisalmer from Delhi .
You can also fly to Jodhpur and Jaipur.
But the flight is 8-seated plane operates
only in peak season (Dec-Feb). For the rest
of the time Jodhpur is the nearest airport.
Road : Rajasthan Roadways run
very comfortable deluxe & air conditioned
buses from Jaipur, Jodhpur , Bikaner . The
roads are very good and fairly comfortable.
Rail : Jaisalmer is connected
to Delhi Via Delhi-Jaisalmer Exp. The train
starts from Delhi (17.00) and reaches next
day at (12.45). There is also train from
Jodhpur to Jaisalmer.
