Camel Festival Bikaner, Rajasthan
| Year | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Jan 13 – 15 , 2023 |
| 2024 | To be announced |
Camel Festival, Bikaner, Rajasthan is an annual event organized in the state by the Department of Tourism, Art and Culture. The event takes place as a celebration of honouring the Camels – “Ship of the Desert”. It is a spectacular festival that everyone in the state looks forward to every year. In fact, camel festival is considered as one of the best festival tours in India as people all over the country, including tourists from abroad, make a visit to this place during this festival time. The camel festival is usually celebrated in the month of January. Camel Festival Bikaner 2023 dates are 11th and 12th January. A tribute given to the “the ship of the desert” for being the lifeline in the deserts, it is one of the best festivals of Bikaner, Rajasthan and is celebrated with great enthusiasm by the people there. Book your Camel Festival Tour 2023 now.
History of the festival
A traditional festival of Rajasthan, the camel fair which is organized as an honour to the camels, dates back to a long association between Bikaner and camels. Camels have played an important role in the life and culture of the people of Bikaner, the city being the only camel breeding region there. Rajasthan with its Thar Desert has an extreme harsh climatic condition. Camels have survived the desert climate, contributing a significant part of the livestock of the people of Bikaner, and other villages and small towns in and near the Thar desert. In fact, camels raised here have joined even the Indian Army. The camel forces are known as “Ganga Risala” and are the part of The Indian Border Security Force. This Camel Festival is dedicated to give an honour and respect to the camels for surviving both the scorching heat and unbearable cold months of Rajasthan and for their loyalty to the land of Bikaner.
Things to look forward to in Bikaner Camel Festival Rajasthan
The highlight of the festival is of course camels but not limited to camels. This festival is a perfect amalgamation of history, culture, tradition, fun, frolic, music, dance, food, and not less than a carnival, and is worth visiting by all travel freaks of the world. This festival is celebrated against the background of the beautifully illuminated Fort Junagarh in Bikaner.
The festival is a two-day affair in the month of January. Even at the time of chill winter months, people gather here in large numbers to celebrate the festival. The rustic Bikaner comes lively with the Camel festival, and it looks no less than a paradise. Camel Fair Tour is one of the best festival tours of Rajasthan.
Colourful parade
The event includes competitions and exhilarating camel performances like camel dances, camel races, camel tug of war, camel rides, acrobatic performance by camels etc. Camel rides and safaris attract people from all across the globe. It is one-of-a-kind worth cherishing experience to go for camel rides and safaris over the gold dunes and explore Bikaner. There are also competitions among owners like as beauty pageants of camels where owners deck up their camels beautifully and walk on the ramp, competition of best breed camel, camel milking, best fur cutting etc. The festival also promotes camel breeding and the age-old tradition of camel taming and training
Camel performances and competitions
The event includes competitions and exhilarating camel performances like camel dances, camel races, camel tug of war, camel rides, acrobatic performance by camels etc. Camel rides and safaris attract people from all across the globe. It is one-of-a-kind worth cherishing experience to go for camel rides and safaris over the gold dunes and explore Bikaner. There are also competitions among owners like as beauty pageants of camels where owners deck up their camels beautifully and walk on the ramp, competition of best breed camel, camel milking, best fur cutting etc. The festival also promotes camel breeding and the age-old tradition of camel taming and training.
Competitions for the locals and tourists
There are also number of competitions for the locals and the tourists like as tug of war, water pot race for women, turban tying competition for tourists, villagers’ wrestling competition, beauty pageant competition (Miss Marwar), Mr Bikaner Competition, musical chair, kabaddi matches etc.
Cultural programs
In the evening, you will be enthralled by the cultural programs of songs, music and dance and puppet shows by local artists. Audience waits eagerly for the Rajasthani traditional dance with colourful swirling skirts and the music making the ambience all the more captivating.
Food and shopping carniva
The food stalls on the ground offer a plethora of Rajasthani delicacies like as Daal Bati Churma, Mohan Maas, Laal Maas, Gatte Ki Sabzi, Kadhi, Ker Sangri, Boondi ka Raita, Bajre ki Roti etc. Some food stalls serve camel milk, camel milk sweets and camel milk tea. You cannot miss out on savouring various Rajasthani deserts like the Mohanthaal, Churma Laddoo, Balushahi, Badam ka Halva, Mawa Kachori, Gujiya, Ghevar. Also, the Camel festival ground becomes a shopping paradise for tourists where they can purchase Rajasthani handicrafts, jewels, local handlooms, artefacts, pottery as gifts and souvenirs.
The camel festival, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India ends on the second day with a dazzling display of fireworks which leave the tourists spell bound. Watching fireworks under the evening skies from the dunes is a sight that is just unbelievable and tourists cannot afford to skip this.
How to reach Bikaner?
The nearest airport to Bikaner is Jodhpur Airport, located around 251 km away from the city. Tourists usually board a bus or hire a cab to reach Bikaner from the airport. The city is well connected by railways from Delhi and Jodhpur. There are frequent bus services to reach Bikaner from other cities like as Delhi, Jodhpur, Ahmedabad, Agra, Ajmer, Jaipur, Udaipur and Kota.
For those who want to enjoy a sight of vibrant colours in the golden dunes, a visit to Bikaner camel festival is a must. A festival dedicated to the survival of camels, a grand celebration of the rich culture of Rajasthan, tourists from all over the world flock to this land of camels during this time. It is always advisable to book your tickets well in advance to avoid the last-minute rush and high prices. Best In bound Tour Operators in India offer various tour programs to make your tour to Bikaner a memorable one during the Camel Festival. This Camel festival is one of the best tourist festivals in India to experience the rustic charm of Rajasthani culture.
Want to join this festival?
