Fairs & Festivals in Rajasthan
Desert Festival
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.
Camel Festival
A lively and colourful event, the Camel Festival is organised by the Department
of Tourism, Art & Culture, Rajasthan in Bikaner every year.
January is just the right month for a desert spree, and Bikaner just the right
place to see the Ships of the Desert.
In the camel country Bikaner, these desert leviathans pull heavy cart loads,
transport grain and even work at the wells.
The Camel Festival begins with a colourful procession of bedecked camels against
the red sandstone backdrop of the Junagarh Fort, the festivity advances to the
open sand-spreads of the grounds, followed by the best breed competition, the
tug-of-war contest, camel dance and acrobatics, etc.
The camels display amazing footwork, dancing gracefully to the slightest direction
of their trainers.
Bridal, bridles, bejewelled necks, jingling anklets and long, lanky camel shadows
on dusky sands cast a magical spell.
Hundreds of tourists and thousands of locals and dignitaries revel in this man-and-animal
affair organised especially for the tourists.
The evenings close with a different tenor and tempo altogether: a traditional
rendezvous of renowned artistes of Rajasthan and the local folk performers.
The jubilant skirt-swirling dancers, the awe inspiring fire dance, and the dazzling
fireworks light up the fortified desert city of Bikaner.
Bikaner is connected by rail and road with all the major cities. The nearest
airport is at Jodhpur (243 kms.)
Gangaur
Festival, Jaipur
A festival devoted to Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva. Ishar &
Gangaur are the divine male and female ho embody marital love.
Dedicated to goddess Gauri (Parvati), the festival commences on Holi/ Young
girls pray for rooms of their choice while married women seek a long life for
their husbands. The ladies decorate their hands and feet )y drawing designs
with Mehendi (Myrtle Jaste).
On the evening of the 7th day after -ioli, unmarried girls go around singing
songs of ghudlia (earthern pots with numerous holes all around with a lamp lit
aside) carrying the pots on their hands. )n their way they collect small presents
,f cash, sweets, jaggery, ghee, oil etc. The women do these while chanting hymns
to the Goddess.
Festivities continue for 18 days culminating with the arrival of Lord Shiva
to escort his bride home.
A grand process Ion with the ideal of Gauri in beautifully decorated gold and
silver a palanquin caparisoned elephants, camels, horses, dances, drummers &
joyous children, goes through the city streets.
In Jaipur procession forms at the Palace Gate known as Tripolia and moves on
the city streets on to Talkatora.
A vast gathering of jaipurites & villagers from nearby areas witness the
procession. A sweet dish called Ghewar characteristic of the Gangaur festival
is distributed among friends & relatives.
In Jodhpur early in the morning thousands of maidens, clad in their best attire,
singing melodious songs, bring water and durba grass in silver or brass pots
to a place known as Girdikot.
In Udaipur the images of Isar & Gauri are taken in a procession to the Pichola
lake there after in a boat for an hour they go around the lake and the ceremony
comes to an end with a display of fireworks on the banks.
The Girasia tribe eligible boys & girls in Sirohi, Mount Abu region during
Gangaur festival select their life partners & elope with them. This form
of marriage has the sanction of the community.
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