Desert Festival in Rajasthan
Jaisalmer, located amid the golden sand dunes, home to the wonderful fairy castle called the Jaisalmer Fort, is the venue for the Desert Festival. The festival is organized in the months of January to February, when the desert chill of winters has abated somewhat, but the sizzling heat has not caught on yet. The Desert Festival celebrated the Thar Desert and the hardy people who call it home. Unlike other festivals dedicated to seasons, deities, and saints, the Desert Festival truly commemorates the common man in Rajasthan, particularly in the beautiful but harsh desert. The festival showcases the culture and traditions of the people.
The hallmark of the Desert Festival is the performance by folk artistes, the gritty nomads who have found color, song, and dance even in the undulating, monotonous, and barren sand dunes. Men from all nationalities converge here to participate in the turban tying contest. Of course, it is almost always a Rajasthani who is the winner, for tying turbans is an art that can be learnt only through practice. Other visitors love the excitement of the camel races.
The hallmark of the Desert Festival is the performance by folk artistes, the gritty nomads who have found color, song, and dance even in the undulating, monotonous, and barren sand dunes. Men from all nationalities converge here to participate in the turban tying contest. Of course, it is almost always a Rajasthani who is the winner, for tying turbans is an art that can be learnt only through practice. Other visitors love the excitement of the camel races.
The women artistes perform the dances that have been so popular here over the centuries. Dressed in bright skirts and blouses, arms covered with lacquer bangles, they dance carrying flaming lamps on their heads. The traditional acrobats are some of the other star performers here, known for their deft moves high up in the air, and their penchant for performing without safety gear.
The sound and light show in the evenings, amid the picturesque backdrop of the dunes, brings alive the tales of ancient Rajasthan. The Desert Festival celebrates the traditional Rajasthani way of life, fast disappearing due to the rise of urbanization and globalization. While many of the desert attractions here play up to the Westerner’s notion of India – complete with snake charmers, camel rides, mustachioed men, and veiled women – the festival does have its charms. It brings color into the drab lives of the weary travelers, and provides them a wonderful story to relate at the dinner table back home.
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