Desert Festival Jaisalmer

15 Shares

Desert Festival Jaisalmer
One of the famous cultural events that dominates the sand of Rajasthan in the month of February is the popular Jaisalmer Desert Festival. It reflects the culture and heritage of Rajasthani people. Being an annual event, the fest garners attentions of many itchy feets. It showcases some of the best cultural traditions that have remained with Rajasthan for years.

Celebrations

A few days before the spring full moon according to the Hindu calendar, musicians, dancers and performers from all over Rajasthan start moving in colorful camel caravans towards the golden town of Jaisalmer, which dons a festive look. The otherwise barren landscape is splashed with vibrant colors marking the opening of the Desert Festival. The 12th century fort of Jaisalmer, built in yellow sandstone, provides a fairytale background. Over the years, the desert dwellers in their solitude have woven a fascinating tapestry with threads of music and rhythm and the Desert Festival is a celebration of their heritage. It is a chance of a lifetime to see the folk art forms against the landscape that has nurtured them for hundreds of years.

Rituals

Camels are not just beasts of burden but an integral part of the desert life and the camel events confirm this fact. Special efforts go into dressing the animal for entering the spectacular competition of the best-dressed camel. Interestingly, there is a folk song to describe the making of the camel’s necklace-the Gorband. Camel owners vie with each other for winning the camel races and a feeling of pride is discernible both in the eyes of the owner and his mount that wins. 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.

Keeping the moustache twisted upwards meant keeping the pride intact while drooping moustaches conveyed complete surrender. Tying a turban is not only an intriguing tradition but an art as well. Varying styles of tying the turban and colors describe the caste, region and also the occasion. To the viewers, it appears complicated but those who have inherited the tradition tie a turban out of meters of cloth at the blink of an eye.

By opting for Rajasthan tour packages, you can transform your vacations into lifetime memory and get lots of pleasures. The dance events and camel polo offers you a best choice to value the camel and its great skills. Folksongs and dance and narration of heroic poems sung by poets fill the atmosphere with the essence of desert romance and make a whimsical ambience that prompts you of the heroic past. This festival offers amazing platform for displaying the original and long standing traditions of golden Rajasthan. Among the stimulating stuffs to explore in Jaisalmer Desert festival the kiosks, carpets, rugs, and tents showcasing handicraft goods and clothing are fairly exciting.

Visit our website for more information About Desert Festival Jaisalmer and its other activities.