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Camel festival draws tourists in Bikaner
by Jethmal Sharma

     Bikaner: The three-day Bikaner camel festival, which began here yesterday, is a major attraction for a large number of tourists visiting the Rajasthan. The camels, also known as ships of the desert, are a major attraction at the festival. The festival, which is scheduled to last till Thursday (January 4), comprises a variety of events that include camel dance, camel decoration competitions and camel fur cutting competitions. On the first day, while the lanky giants decked up in bright and colourful jewels remained the main attraction, traditional Rajasthani singers and dancers added to the opening ceremony of the festival.

     The camels presented a pretty picture with bejewelled necks, jingling anklets and some even donning designer fur-cutting patterns on their hide. Their fine footwork amazed visitors to the fair. "We came here for camel safari which we enjoyed for the last four days. This is our last day in Bikaner and we are here to see the camel festival. It's very interesting. I can never expect watching such a thing back at home, so it is very interesting," said Rachel, a foreign tourist. According to the top District officials, the crowds have started arriving here to attend the camel festival and enjoy their holidays in the State. "The crowd has been pouring in. The response has been good. The Air Force show and the festivals we had organised earlier have been good. So, we are optimistic," said Alok Gupta, District Collector, Bikaner. Organised by the State tourism department, the festival is expected to boost tourism in Rajasthan. . The desert city of Bikaner is 320 kilometres from Jaipur and was recognised as a major trade hub in the 16th century. It boasts of a number of places of tourist attraction including forts, palaces, temples and museums apart from the Center of Camel Research.
-Jan 3,  2007

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