The Jaisalmer Desert festival Rajasthan
The Jaisalmer desert festival is organized by the Tourism development corporation of Rajasthan every year. From the name it is clear that the festival takes place in Jaisalmer every year. February is known to be the Hindu month and this is why this festival is organized during February of every year. The festival is celebrated in the beautiful dunes of the Thar Desert in Sam Dunes. A really romantic, remote and unspoiled sport for carrying out such a beautiful event. The location comes to life during the three days of 8th to 10th February when the desert festival takes place.
Origin of Jaisalmer Desert festival
This desert festival was initialized for attracting the tourists. The people of Jaisalmer are extremely caring and the best part of these people are they are always looking for ways to offer more and more of Rajasthan to different parts of the world. Starting from the cultural aspects to the art and crafts, they really love to share their talents and skill to the people of the world. The festival portrays a variety of Rajasthan Folk songs and dance for promoting the culture of Jaisalmer and its traditions. The festival was started up with the motto of promoting Rajasthan and its culture for the different parts of India and to the world as well. And gradually it has become one of the most renowned festivals of India.
History of Jaisalmer Desert Festival
Well, to speak about the history of the Jaisalmer Desert festival, a lot of people do not know about the history of it and it is misrepresented by most of them. There is a legend about this festival and the legend is Lord Krishna who was the leader of the Yadav community, predicted that, one day the successor from a Yadav community shall construct the Kingdom of Yadav community on the Trikurta Hill. And surprisingly enough, that prediction really came to be true. In the year 1196, Rawal Jaiswal, who was the descendant of the Yadav community, built up his kingdom in Jaisalmer.
Large celebrations were organized and people were really shocked when they came to know that Lord Krishna has made such predictions. That time onwards, this incident soon emerged as one of the most celebrated incidents every year. And with the support of the Government, this festival became one of the most interesting spots for tourists to visit. It cannot be denied that the festival really makes the city look alive.
| 1. | Name | Jaisalmer Desert festival |
| 2. | Another Name | |
| 3. | Worship | Lord Krishna |
| 4. | Origin | Originated with the motto of promoting Rajasthan art, culture and attract tourists. |
| 5. | Followed By | |
| 6. | Country | India |
| 7. | Significance | Celebration of the establishment of the Kingdom of Yadav community in Trikurta Hill. |
| 8. | Religion | Hindu |
| 9. | Celebration Date | 8th – 10th February |
| 10. | Celebration Frequency | Once in a year |
| 11. | Celebration Type | Festival |
| 12. | Kind of | Cultural fair and festival |
| 13. | Date Type | Fixed |
Traditional beliefs of Jaisalmer Desert Festival
- Speaking about the traditional beliefs of this desert festival, it can be stated that, the whole festival is believed to be the prediction of Lord Krishna. People still believe that this celebration is a really holy one because it was the desire of lord Krishna so that such festival can take place.
- Another belief that is associated with this desert festival is, people believe that this festival is going to be a really blessed one for the Hindus. The festival is going to bring a growth in finance, and peace in the family lives of the individuals.
- The three day festival is the symbol of culture and heritage, in which songs and dance programs take place. The songs and dances are mostly elated to Lord Krishna who is known to be the creator of this festival. People believe that singing and dancing in the name of god will rain the blessings among the people of Jaisalmer and the whole Rajasthan. If you are planning to spend a holiday in Rajasthan, then this time will be just the perfect time.
How is it celebrated?
The celebrations are made in a grand way. Innumerable competitions are there which are a part of the celebrations of this festival. Let’s have a look at the celebrations that take place during this festival. The festival starts with a procession in the morning, starting from the Jaisalmer Fort to the Shahid Poonam Singh stadium. The local dress, in traditional and bright costumes brings out the colors of the festival. There are songs and dances by the inhabitants of Jaisalmer that depicts the tragedies and accomplishments of the people of Jaisalmer. The Gair and Fire dance are major highlights of this festival. And then come the kalabaz or aka the Nat’s who have the skills to show gymnastics for the people. These people are the local nomads who are popular for the gymnastic acts The Bhopa’s langhas and the Manganiars create the enchanting environment with the poignant folk music recitals and the ballads.
If you are lucky enough to be a part of the celebrations of the Jaisalmer Desert festival then you shall definitely see the rare competitions like Polo. The huge amount of people gathered there, cheering for the gymnastic stunts on the camel back and the camel formation dancing are the crowning jewels of this festival. Apart from these, there are also certain competitions held as a part of the celebration of this festival. These competitions include the Turban tying. The turban is one of the significant traditional cultures of Rajasthan and this is considered as a symbol of pride and honor. The culture of Jaisalmer is kept alive with the turban tying competition and also with the moustache competition people of really enjoy a lot. The moustache might be a thing of the past, but for the people of Jaisalmer, this is a major part of the Desert Festival. The moustache is a symbol of honor for the people of Rajasthan and within the competition, the person who has the longest and thickest moustache, will be the winner.
Present and past scenario of the Desert festival of Jaisalmer
| Past | Present |
| The festival celebration comprised of the different display of cultural arts and skills. People used to display their crafts, sewing skills in clothes and a lot of architecture and pottery materials. | Add on features have been available with each and every year. The festival has become more in the form of a fair cum festival. |
| There were no medical van facilities or local administration monitoring for the tourists. | Apart from the medical facilities and local monitoring administration, there are now “help cells” for guiding the tourists. |
| Securities during the celebration of this festival was not a priority at past. | But with recent increment of anti-social activities and terrorist activities, the security measures have been enhanced a lot for this festival. |
Conclusion
Finally, it can be stated that this is a festival that you would definitely not want to miss out. This is one of the biggest attraction of Rajasthan with the marvelous fair being a part of the trip, you are going to feel that your Rajasthan trip is fulfilled. With the interesting contests, dance shows, the display of art and culture, overall the continuous fun for the three days are just a mesmerizing experience. If you are looking to buy gifts or souvenirs from Rajasthan, for your loved ones, then this fair is going to be just perfect for you.
Jaisalmer Desert Festival Speech
The Jaisalmer desert festival is not only just any simple function or fair organized by a state government. This is the real feel of Jaisalmer. This is the real glory, its true legend. If you are looking to take a feel of raw Jaisalmer, then this is the one festival you should be looking for. Well, this is not just any other implant; it’s like a home grown gathering of people who just love to cherish the fusion of different cultures, creativity, skill, talent and arts. If you want the real feel of Rajasthan, the sensory overload, then this is the one festival for you. We mark this festival as one of the best events in history, be it from the perspective of legend, showmanship of art and culture or the spirit of the people of Jaisalmer, you really need to feel this once.
Now only this is the pulse of the locals that make this festival so much attractive, but the glory of this festival is such that it even attracts the tourists from outside India, making it an internationally famous event of our country. This festival is just the perfect medley of culture, dance, folk music, traditional competitions and much more. The festival is so much popular that it has been successful in attracting people of different cultures, irrespective of their age and religion. One thing we can definitely promise you, every participant will enjoy the undiluted taste of Rajasthan. The entire city gets turned into a complete different vibrant mood, enthrallment and festivities.
The festival is also a mark of love and passion. With the celebration of fire and rendition where Princess Moomal sets herself on fire to prove her love towards Prince Mahendra. The festival also showcases the talent and skills of the people of Rajasthan. This also encourages and felicitates the local artists in different fields, starting from sports, gymnastics to art and craft.
Quotes of Jaisalmer Desert festival
“Jaisalmer desert festivals are great, because you get to check out your art and craft of your own country that you have heard but never seen”.
“The desert festival is to celebrate the love between different cultures that beats for the same reason”.
“India has two million gods and we worship them all. In religion all the other countries are paupers, but India is the only billionaire”.
“The desert festival of India is so loved not just because what it brings to you, but because of the brightness, light and warmth of the three days”.
“Indian Jaisalmer desert festival is a fuel less flame that brings nothing but wraith, however wrought, if unsustained by passion”.
“Indian desert festival is just the time to heal the pain because the theme is the triumph of good over evil”.
“The desert festival is not only a cultural message, but this message is for all the hope in the face of tyranny and darkness”.
“More people can relate to the Indian Jaisalmer desert festival because they come with stories that the divine pervades everything even the darkness.”
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