The beautiful landscape of Thar desert in the outskirt of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan is all set to come alive during the famous desert festival. The festival is scheduled to be held from 25 to 27 February. Known as Maru desert festival in local language, the three days cultural extravaganza will showcase the best of Rajashthani folk music, dance, and other cultural activities. Traditional competitions like turban tying and mustache will also be part of the festival.
Jaisalmer district administration recently laid to rest all the speculations about holding of the desert festival this year due to Covid pandemic. Traditionally the festival begins three days before the full moon of Hindu month Magha and comes to an end on the full moon night of Magha purnami. The state government recently gave a nod to the festival in the Sam dunes about 42 kilometers from Jaisalmer in the Thar desert.
This year the festival will go online as there will be direct telecast of the event on the digital platform Youtube. Administration will install digital walls at airports, railway stations, and other places in the city to ensure visitors get all the required information about the daily events during the festival. It said that preparation was going on in the full swing to organize the festival while adhering to the Covid rules. Sources said that only those visitors would be allowed entry to the festival sites who follow the Covid protocol and use mask and sanitizer.
Department of Tourism and Culture of Rajasthan organises the desert festival every year to attract tourists especially foreign tourists. The foreigners always have a penchant for the traditional Rajasthani culture and lifestyle. The colourful annual festival glorifies the rich culture of the desert region of Rajasthan.
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The Desert Festival
Unlike other festivals, there is no mythology or legend behind the celebration of the festival. The festival is organised with a view to attracting tourists across the globe and promote tourism of the state. And indeed millions of tourists including a sizable from abroad throng the desert festival every year to catch a glimpse of the scintillating performances of various art forms like Rajasthani folk songs, music, and dance against the backdrop of the Sam dunes of the Thar desert.
The festival has always emphasized local elements. The tourists are treated with the best of Rajasthani culture and heritage. Both amateurs and professionals perform at the festival and share the stage together. While the moonlit nights serve a perfect ambiance, it is all the way the sand that dominates the festival.
The festival opens with a grand procession in the early morning starting from the Jaisalmer Fort to the Shahid Poonam Singh Stadium in the city. And as the festival is organized every year the various events also added every year with the same enthusiasm. The villagers and the local people dressed in their best costumes and sing folk songs to welcome the festival with open arms and enthusiasm. They wait for this festival as soon as the winter arrives and the adieu to the season with a note of celebration of their culture.
Desert festival competitions
This is a surprise package for the visitors as the festival is not only about songs and dances, but also various competitions that serve Rajasthani culture in a different way. In fact, the desert festival is all about camel races, turban tying, puppeteers, jugglers, long mustached men, and many more. It is a complete bundle of fun for all three days.
Camel race: While visiting Rajasthan two things you must have in your mind, the desert and the camels. A unique feature of the festival is that the animals are showcased to the tourists with a tint of fun. You can see high standing camels decorated colorfully with ornaments, bells, and flowers and they compete in a race and the owner of the winning camel gets a prize money.
Mr. Desert: This is a competition which is also known as “Maru Shri” or as the Man of the Desert (Maru means desert in Rajasthani) and the caliber is measured by the length of the mustaches of the participants here and that is why a man with the longest mustaches is the winner. Indeed it is funny but interesting too.
How to reach Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer does not have a regular airport of its own. The nearest airport is in Jodhpur about 280 kilometers away. The city however has its own railway station which has a regular train services from all parts of the country. Jaisalmer is well connected by road with the neghbourng cities. From Jaisalmer however, you have to take a taxi or any public transport service to reach the festival place which is 42 kilometers away.