Bikaner’s Camel Festival

Once, during a friendly competition in the family between Haryanvis and Rajasthanis, an uncle jokingly said that there are more festivals in Rajasthan than there are days in a year! Indeed, Rajasthan has earned the status of being India’s cultural and festive hub. From lit festivals, cultural evenings and Marvari festivals, to fairs and international concerts, Rajasthan is brimming with celebration all year round. This time let us take you to Bikaner in western Rajasthan for a unique Camel Festival that has become quite a tourist attraction.

The camel capital of India and home to the largest camel breeding farm in Asia, it is but natural that Bikaner holds a festival dedicated to the ship of the desert. A beautiful time to enjoy outdoor activities in Rajasthan, the Camel Festival is a two day fair, with several unique and entertaining camel activities. This year, the festival will be held on January 26^th and 27^th.

Various activities that can be enjoyed here include a camel procession with decked up camels parading the grounds, races, tug of war between camels and lots more. Some intriguing competitions during the festival are beauty pageants for camels including which one is the best-dressed and has the best-hairdo!

Your active participation in the festival can extend to joyous camel rides, clicking pictures of some really well decorated ones, purchasing exquisite handicrafts from Bikaner exhibited here, trying out the lip-smacking lassi made of camel milk and munching on some delectable Rajasthani cuisine.  While afternoons get busy with all the action, the evenings are more relaxing and pleasant and a time when you can just sit back and enjoy puppet shows, vibrant dances and soul embracing music of Rajasthan around a cosy bonfire.

After two eventful days at the festival, you can look at exploring the city! While forts and museums are very much on the touristy circuit, the famous Karni Mata Mandir is the biggest draw of Bikaner. After spending time with camels, go watch the countless rats worshiped in this temple, some sleeping and some running haywire, high on sugar from the sweets offered in the temples – surely an incredible sight to behold.

Bikaner might not be famous for tranquil lakes or a metropolitan lifestyle, but this rustic town is the gateway to the endless Thar and boasts of several elegant palaces and formidable forts, the most famous being the Junagarh Fort. Walking down the lanes of the main market will make it impossible to resist buying the beautiful paintings, pottery, leather handicrafts and colourful attire, characteristic of Bikaner. Indeed, no Rajasthan trip is complete without visiting Bikaner. This humble town will impress you with its zest for life. The Camel Festival is just the perfect time to sink in to spirit of the town.

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