DESERT FESTIVAL JAISALMER, INDIA
April 23, 2018
The Desert Festival of Jaisalmer is the annual event taking place in the awesome city of Jaisalmer in the month of February. It is celebrated in the Magh month according to the Hindu calendar, three days before full moon. The celebrations of the festival take place amidst the romantic and beautiful sand dunes. The remote place on the sand dunes becomes extremely romantic and lively during the three days of the festival. The participants experience an extravagant affair with the desert delights during the days of the Desert Festival. The Car Rental Delhi helps the visitors to visit this awesome festival.
History of Jaisalmer’s Desert Festival
There is a long-standing history which describes the origin and significance of the Desert Festival of Jaisalmer. But not all are aware of the same. According to the legend, Lord Krishna who was the head of Yadav community had told Arjuna that his successor from the community will be setting up his own kingdom on Trikuta Hill.
This prediction was accurate as in 1196, Rawal Jaisal who was the descendant of Krishna’s community established his own kingdom in the city of Jaisalmer. Knowing about the prophecy, huge celebrations were carried out in the kingdom. With the advancement of time, these celebrations evolved into a grand festival which is presently held in the form of the Desert Festival in Jaisalmer every year. Due to its grandeur, the government had started making this vibrant festival an important tool for marketing for the desert tourism to draw international visitors to Rajasthan.
How is it celebrated?
The festivities and celebrations of this festival make the remote desert dunes come back to live in happiness, colors, and enthusiasm and Car Rental Delhi will surely help the tourists to experience the colors of this festival. The inauguration of the festival starts with a morning parade or procession from the Fort of Jaisalmer to Shahid Poonam Singh Stadium. The participants of the festival get dressed in bright and traditional costumes and they depict the accomplishments as well as the tragedies of the desert through their dance and songs. Some of the major highlights of the Desert Festival are Fire Dance and Gair.
The visitors can also enjoy the gymnastic acts of the Nat’s, also known as the Kalabaz, a local nomad group. An enchanting ambiance is created through the recitals, ballads and folk music of the Bhopa’s, Manganiars and Langha’s. Rare competitions of camel polo can also be enjoyed. Some of the gems of this festival are the gymnastic stunts made on the camelback and the dancing with camel formation. It is followed by the Camel Tattoo of Border Security Force, turban tying, tug-of-war, competition for longest mustache and Maru-Shri or the competition for Mr. Desert. The final day of the festival involves a folk concert of Rajasthan followed by a cricket match, display of the Air Force and also parachuting. On the full moon day or Poornima, the festival comes to an end on the dunes with the backdrop of Jaisalmer Fort and this together creates a perfect ambiance of a fairy tale.
The Desert Festival also involves delicious food, stalls selling handicrafts and articrafts along with the other souvenirs. During the festival, the visitors can also enjoy camping and desert safari.