Every Year in the Month of January Department of tourism, Art and Culture organise The Camel Festival, a lively and colourful event, in Bikaner Rajasthan. January is just the right month for a desert spree, and Bikaner just the right place to see the Ships of the Desert. In the camel country Bikaner, these desert leviathans pull heavy cart loads, transport grain and even work at the wells. The Camel Festival begins with a colourful procession of bedecked camels against the red sandstone backdrop of the Junagarh Fort, the festivity advances to the open sand-spreads of the grounds, followed by the best breed competition, the tug-of- war contest, camel dance and acrobatics, etc.

The festival starts with the procession of beautifully decorated camels. The procession heads towards the open sand grounds. Here, the festivities begin in earnest. The Camel Pageant is held on the first day wherein the camel owners show off their Camels' decorations and jewellery. Camel dance performances are also held. A competition for best decorated camel, fur cutting design, camel milking and the best camel hair cut is organised. The camels display amazing foot-work, dancing gracefully to the slightest direction of their drivers. Colourful bridles, bejewelled necks, jingling anklets and long, lanky camel shadows on dusky sands, cast a magical spell.

The evenings close with a different tenor and tempo altogether: a traditional rendezvous of renowned artistes of Rajasthan and the local folk performers. The jubilant skirt-swirling dancers, the awe inspiring fire dance, and the dazzling fireworks light up the fortified desert city of Bikaner. Travel Information Air : The nearest airport is Jodhpur 240 kms. Rail : The Indian Railways connects Bikaner with cities like Delhi, Calcutta, Agra, Jaipur,

Allahabad etc. The gorgeous 'Palace on wheels' also covers Bikaner in its eight-day tour of Rajasthan.
Road : Though the unfriendly desert sands surround Bikaner but the city is well connected by roads. There are local and inter-state bus services for Bikaner.