Once a year in winters and
on the middle of the continually rising and falling stark yellow
sands of the great Thar Desert, the empty sands around Jaisalmer
come alive with the brilliant colour, music and laughter of the
Desert Festival. The festival is organised by the tourist authorities
as tourist entertainment around January-February.
The very rich and colourful Rajasthani folk culture is on show
here for a few days. Rajasthani men and tall beautiful women dressed
in their brightly costumes dance and sing lingering ballads of
valour, romance and tragedy. Traditional musicians attempt to
outdo each other in their musical superiority.
The high points of the festival are - snake charmers, puppeteers,
acrobats, folk performers do rapid trade. Camels, the lifeline
of the desert, play a foremost role. Proud moustached villagers,
dressed in their ethnic best come astride their picturesquely
caparisoned camels to join in the camel dances and competitions
of camel acrobatics, camel races and décor, camel polo,
tug of war and the like.
The tourist dances, turban tying competitions and tug of war are
big draws and laughter. The Mr Desert competitions, which are
focused around the length of moustaches by and large, attract
many hopefuls.
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to Rajasthan Fair Festivals
