Desert Festival

Time: January / February
Venue: Jaisalmer
Significance: The Desert festival displays the rich and colorful culture of Rajasthan.
Highlights: Performances by fire dancers, snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats, folk artists, etc.

The Desert Festival is organized in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, usually in the month of January or February. The duration of the festival is three days and it comes to an end on Poornima, the full moon day. The main purpose of the Rajasthan Desert Festival is to display the rich and colorful culture of the state. Dressed in vibrant and colorful attire, the people of Rajasthan dance to the tunes lingering ballads of heroism, romance and tragedy of the local heroes.
During the desert festival, the sands around Jaisalmer are adorned with vibrant hues of music and dance, accompanied with sounds of laughter and joy. Musicians entice you with haunting ballads - a mixture of romantic verses weaved together with tunes of tragic pain. The fair has snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats and folk performers. Camels, also play a stellar role. This desert festival of India closes with an enchanting sound and light show amid the sand dunes on a moonlit night.

Desert Festival Activities

The preparations for this festival begins well in advance, where a few days before the spring full moon according to the Hindu calendar, musicians, dancers and performers from all over Rajasthan start moving in colorful camel caravans towards the golden town of Jaisalmer, which already begins to don a festive look. The 12th century fort of Jaisalmer, built in yellow sandstone, provides a fairytale background for this festival. It is a chance of a lifetime to see the folk art forms against the landscape that has nurtured them for hundreds of years.
Though the festival is mainly a grand display of performing arts, there are several other events that give a glimpse of the desert culture. Exquisitely embroidered skirts, hand-woven shawls, rugs, carvings on wood and stone, camel decorations, embroidered leather bags, ethnic silver jewelry and terracotta can be bought at this desert fair.
Evenings are meant for the main shows of music and dance. Continuing till late into the night, the number of spectators increases by each night and on the final day, under the full moonlit night, the whole place is swarming with people who make it a point to be there to witness this mega show.
The high points of the festival are - snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats, folk performers do rapid trade. Camels, the lifeline of the desert, play a foremost role. Proud moustached villagers, dressed in their ethnic best come astride their picturesquely caparisoned camels to join in the camel dances and competitions of camel acrobatics, camel races and décor, camel polo, tug of war and the like.
The tourist dances, turban tying competitions and tug of war are big draws and laughter. The Mr Desert competitions, which are focused around the length of moustaches by and large, attract many hopefuls.

How To Reach

Flight : Jackson Airways has started flight to Jaisalmer from Delhi. You can also fly to Jodhpur and Jaipur. But the flight is 8-seated plane operates only in peak season (Dec-Feb). For the rest of the time Jodhpur is the nearest airport.

Train : Rajasthan Roadways run very comfortable deluxe & air conditioned buses from Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner. The roads are very good and fairly comfortable.

Road : Jaisalmer is connected to Delhi Via Delhi-Jaisalmer Exp. The train starts from Delhi (17.00) and reaches next day at (12.45). There is also train from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer