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Bikaner
Camel Festival
(21st
January to 22md January at
Bikaner - Rajasthan)
The
Camel Festival
is organized in the month of January every year by the
Department of Tourism,
Art & Culture, Rajasthan. It is held in the city of Bikaner, with the
magnificent Junagarh Fort
forming as its backdrop. The festival is organized to underline
the value of camel,
the indispensable ship of
the desert.
Bikaner Camel Festival commences with a splendid as well as colorful
procession of camels,
festooned and ornamented.
The procession then moves ahead to the Polo grounds, where it finally
concludes.
The grace and charm of the
brilliantly ornamented camels
leave the onlookers mesmerized. After the end of the procession, the
festival carries on with a number of other activities like
tug-of-war contest,
camel dance and
acrobatics, etc. In the
camel dance, you will see camels dancing perfectly to the command of
their trainers, flaunting an incredible footwork. With their
bridles, ornamented necks and
jingling anklets, the camels
form amazing shadows on the
ground and leave the audience spellbound.
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Tourists from far and wide come to the
Camel Festival of Bikaner
to see the camels in all their revelry. The evenings liven up with the
various folk shows by the performers. These performers consist of both
the renowned artistes of
Rajasthan as well as the
local folk artists. Some of the best performances comprise those of the
rapturous dancers swirling their skirts with
effortless ease and the
breathtaking fire dancers.
Also, make sure that you do not miss the glittering fireworks concluding
the evenings.
History of
the Bikaner Camel Festival
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.
Activities
in Camel Festival, Bikaner (Rajasthan)
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.
Pictures of
Camel Festival, Bikaner
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