Rajasthan Camel fest enthralls tourists

Camel race in shimmering sand dunes of Rajasthan enthralled tourists from all over the world at the International Camel Festival.

Camels, which are also known as the ship of the desert due to their ability to store water for several days, mesmerised the onlookers as they competed with each other with great vigour.

The tourists, who arrived in Bikaner from countries like Australia, Germany, Canada and England, were thrilled as they watched the race keenly and enjoyed every moment of it.

The two-day annual camel extravaganza began on January 4 and concluded on January 5.

Apart from camel race, camel dance, camel decoration competitions and camel wrestling, and several village sport events were also organised at the festival.

A tourist from Germany, Gehash, said he was delighted to witness the camel race.

"We have planned our holidays according to the festival which will be here in Bikaner and so we arrived two days before and we had seen opportunities to see here the festival Bikaner in front of a palace and it was really good impression for us and the camels are colourful and wonderful to see because normally in Europe you never see a camel on the road," said Gehash.

The tourists were fascinated as they saw beautifully decorated camels dance to traditional tunes at the festival, jointly organised by Rajasthan Tourism and Bikaner administration.

A tourist from Canada, Christine, said that the camel race would be etched in her memories.

"This is my first time in Bikaner and I'm having an amazing time. Everyone has been very friendly. Everything is so unique and so different that I just find it very beautiful, it's very exotic for me. It's just very special," said Christine.

Tourists hailed the warm and traditional reception accorded to them. They were amazed by the exotic ethnic ornaments and costumes adorned by Rajasthani women.

Situated around 320 kilometres from Jaipur, Bikaner has been a major trade hub since the sixteenth century.

It boasts of a number of places of tourist attraction, including forts, palaces, temples and museums apart from the Centre of Camel Research instituted by the Government of India.