The city of Bikaner is famous for being the only camel breeding region; therefore, the association of Camel and Bikaner go a long way.
Desert is known for its extreme climatic condition, during summers, the scorching heat is unbearable while the cold winters are at times difficult for survival too.
Having sailed through such climatic conditions and being loyal to the land of Bikaner, camels are an integral part of Rajasthan and thus, dedicating a festival to respect them is a given.
Although the festival is camel-centred, Rajasthani folk dance and music add a huge charm to this popular event in Bikaner. Set against the background of Junagarh fort in Bikaner, the festival is not less than a carnival where camels are adorned with colourful ornaments.
The popular festival in Bikaner is conducted in the chilling month of January; however, it doesn’t deter tourists to attend this festival in large numbers. It starts with the colourful camel parade giving a tribute to this giant mammal.
This is followed by exhilarating performances and camel rides. Other activities which make the festival even more interesting are Camel dance, Camel Tug of war, beauty pageants of camels, best breed competition and various acrobatics.
Engrossed tourists cheer these competitions to their fullest capacity, thereby encouraging the participants to deliver more. It is quite extraordinary to have the rustic terrain of Bikaner offer such interesting moments to experience.
Dates of the festival: Camel festival is celebrated for two days in the month of January
Special highlights of the festival:
- Visitors can try the special tea and sweets made from Camel milk.
- Various stalls arranged in the festival offer exquisite jewellery, handicrafts, artefacts, pottery etc. for sale.
- Camels participating in this festival who are bred and trained in this region are later enrolled in the Indian army.
- There are puppet shows which have dolls dressed in colourful attire to narrate folklores.
- The festival gets a grand closure on the last day. Stunning fireworks along with the glittering lights make the desert area of Bikaner look no less than a paradise.
