About Camel Festival

Celebrate radiant Rajasthan with festivals in Bikaner. Multi-hued customs and enchanting ritualistic practices enamor you into a pleasurable state as you tour the festivals in Bikaner, Rajasthan. A brilliant mosaic of ancient traditions, festivals in Bikaner bring to fore the enchanting past and heartwarming legends associated with religious occasions. See locals performing religious rites and observing traditional customs with devotion and fervor on your tours to festivals in Bikaner.

Though the people of Bikaner celebrate several festivals, the ones that warrant a special mention are Gangaur festival, Camel festival and the Kolayat celebrations. Bikaner, the sleepy desert country comes alive with color, gaiety, music, dance, folk performances and joy during festival festivities that enliven the craggy and rustic desert. So come and be a part of chromatic Bikaner that sports bright glittering hues on the fine sand base as you let yourself go with gay abandon at the festivals in Bikaner. The Camel festival is of course the most important among all the festivals celebrated in Bikaner. Be wonderstruck at the enthusiasm of Ghair Ghoomar performers, snake charmers, brightly caparisoned camels and more at the Camel festival that brightens the Bikaner winter.

The Bikaner Camel Festival is exclusively dedicated to the ship of the desert- the camel, which is an important source of transport and livelihood in the state of Rajasthan. This festival is celebrated each year in Bikaner in January and is very significant to the people of Rajasthan because in early times there were no automobiles and then camels were the only source of transport.

Celebration The Bikaner Camel Festival starts off with a magnificent procession of brightly adorned camels against the beautiful backdrop of the Junagarh Fort. The festival then proceeds to the sandy spread of the Polo Ground, which is followed by interesting events. Camels and owners both are dressed in their finest clothes and accessories and enjoy the festival. The festival also features the famous camel dance which is fun to watch as the camels follow instructions by their owners. This is also a place where you can enjoy some delicious, traditional food, such as the famous Bikaner Bhujiya (a savoury snack) and tea and sweets made from camel milk. The interesting highlights of the festival are: camel races, camel milking, fur cutting design, best breed competition, camel bands, traditional folk dance and music. With music and dance performances, food, crafts display and lot more, this festival is one of the most energetic and colourful ones in the country and has made the city of Bikaner a must visit for tourists.

Camel Festival
The Camel Festival is organized by the Department of Tourism of the Rajasthan Government in January every year in Bikaner. The festival begins with a colorful procession of bedecked camels against the red sandstone backdrop of the Junagarh Fort. Held is a tug-of-war contest, best breed competition, camel dance and acrobatics among other things. The camels display amazing footwork, dancing gracefully to the directions of their trainers. Bridal bridles, be jeweled necks, jingling anklets and camel shadows, cast a spell on the audience. In the evenings, is held a traditional rendezvous of renowned artistes and folk performers.

Karni Mata fair
Twice in a year at Deshnok, a small town near Nokha in Bikaner district Karni Mata fair is held. The First fair and the larger is held in March-April during the Navratras from Chaitra Shukla Ekam to Chaitra Shukla Dashmi the second fair is held in September – October, also during the Navratras, from Ashvin Shukla Ekam to Ashwin Shukla Dashmi. Karni Mata was an ascetic who led a righteous life dedicated to the service and upliftment of the poor and downtrodden of all communities. It is believed that she possessed supernatural powers. The foundation of Deshnok was laid by her and she has been worshipped as a goddess by her principal followers, ‘Charans’, as well as the rulers of Bikaner, who regarded her as the patron deity. The Karni Mata Fair is held in her honor. The temple of Karni Mata at Deshnok is a stone and marble structure and is also known as Madh. Inside the shrine, a 75 cms. image of Karni Mata adorned with a ‘mukut’ (tiara) and garlands are installed. Her image is accompanied by the images of her sisters and the sisters of Avad Mata.

Kapil Munni
The sacred lake of Kolayat 55 Km from Bikaner is the venue of this fair. It is held during the full moon of kartik (Nov). The devotees come to take a holy dip in the lake. At this time, all the 50 ghats bordering the lake are crowded. In addition to the worship of Saint Kapil Muni, the propounder of Sankhya, one of the six major philosophical schools, thousands of people also visit the cattle fair held here at this time.

Gangaur Festival
Gangaur Festival in Bikaner is celebrated in the month of April every year. As the term Gan indicates Lord Shiva and Gauri is the divine consort of the Lord, hence the festival of Gangaur is followed to celebrate the divine bliss of Goddess Parvati - the other name of Gauri. The women of Bikaner have a special role to play in the Gangaur festival.