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Bikaner's
dancing camels enthral tourists
by Jethmal Sharma
Bikaner: Bikaner's annual two-day Camel Festival concluded today in the presence of hundreds of tourists. The festival showcased the "Ship of the Desert" in action with a unique display of the camaraderie between man and animal. Besides, traditional dances, colourful costumes, folk music and unique competitions also created a perfect setting for a flamboyant desert festival.
The event unfolded on Friday with a colourful procession of caparisoned camels being led to the desert grounds by their proud owners. The tall camels were a pretty sight with bejewelled necks, jingling anklets and some even donned designer fur-cutting patterns on their hides. The camels put their best foot forward, dancing gracefully to the tune of their trainers. "The desert was the best. It is amazing and the music here is also good. The decorations on the camels, specially the shavings on the fur, is amazing, and the overall atmosphere too," said John, a foreign tourist. "It is a fascinating thing to me. This is the first time I came to India, the first time I came to see a camel festival. The people here are very kind and nice, so is the festival. It is really a nice experience to me," said Fabien, a French tourist. Expressing happiness over the increased number of tourists at the festival, Alok Sharmah, Bikaner 's District Collector, said: "I am very happy that the number of tourists increased a lot at this year's camel festival. This will also help Bikaner to be a complete tourist destination in days to come and will also generate employment for the locals here".
The festival is an event organized in Bikaner by the Department of Tourism, Art and Culture, Government of Rajasthan, every year in the month of January. Desert region's Folk dances and Music, add on to what is otherwise an exclusive camel affair. A festival when the ships of the desert are seen at their best. Camels fascinate tourists from all over the world with their movements, charm and grace. A spectacle of unusual camel performances: camel races, camel dances, and the bumpy, neck shaking camel rides. 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. A competition for best decorated camel, fur cutting design, camel milking and the best camel haircut is organized. The camels display amazing footwork, dancing gracefully to the slightest direction of their drivers. 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 honours. Thousands
of excited tourists and locals cheer the favourites. On both days, the
evening ends with a rendezvous with the renowned folk artists of the State.
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. The desert city of Bikaner is situated around
320 kilometers from Jaipur, capital of Rajsthan and was recognised as
a major trade hub in the 16th century. It boasts of a number of places
of tourist attraction including forts, palaces, temples and museums apart
from being the centre for research on camels. Although India's share in
the global tourism market is negligible, the World Travel and Tourism
Council has put it among the top three tourism hotspots.
-Jan
14, 2006
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