Every January, the small village of Ladera in Bikaner, Rajasthan becomes the venue of the two-day and night Bikaner Camel Festival. People from all over the world come to India to attend the Bikaner Camel Festival where camel owners flock to show-off their camels. The Bikaner Camel Festival is typically held in late December or early January. This year the festival falls on January 26 and 27, 2013.
Camel and owner alike, dressed in their finest designer jewellery and accessories, kick-off the Bikaner Camel Festival with a regal march. This is a spectacular sight as the camels parade past spectators to the open sands with the Royal Junagarh Fort in the background. Colorful bridles, bejeweled necks, jingling anklets and long, lanky camel shadow on the dusky sand casts a magical atmosphere over the Bikaner Camel Festival.
The Bikaner Camel Festival also holds numerous sports and cultural activities, but the camel race is the essence of the festival. Hundreds of camels are corralled to the starting line, and with an explosive gunshot launches a growing swell of dust that follows the camels to the finish line. If that isn't enough, enjoy the camels as they dance to traditional Rajasthan music: swaying their necks and tapping their feet to the beat of the music. The camel milking competition is another very popular game at the Bikaner Camel Festival.
The Bikaner Camel Festival activities define the culture and traditions of Rajasthan, and in the evening, you can enjoy the gypsy dance or folk songs of the state. No matter what part of the world you come from, the music will cast its spell on you. Evenings at the Bikaner Camel Festival are lit by campfires, as folk dancers and musicians lure droves of eager spectators. A desert fireworks spectacle concludes the festivities on the second evening.
Enjoy the lustrous traditions of Rajasthan while celebrating the humble camel, ship of the desert, at the annual Bikaner Camel Festival.
