Mesmerizing Tunes on Camels

The four-day Jaisalmer Maru Mahotsav 2022 will be remembered for the fact that two national records were set and the event got registered in the India Book of Records. In addition to the maximum camels taking part in a race, another important record was established for playing the most musical instruments on the moving camels. The record setting initiative was taken by the District Collector of Jaisalmer, Dr. Pratibha Singh, IAS. She believes that such public activities give impetus to the tourism and culture of the state and the country. At the same time, the glory of Maru Mahotsav increased this year with the creation of two national records. This glorious record setting event took place on February 16, the concluding day of Maru Mahotsav, at Sam Sand Dunes location, in which 50 local musicians gave a memorable performance playing traditional musical instruments of Rajasthan sitting on camels.

The famous Desert Festival in Jaisalmer, popularly known as the Golden City of Rajasthan, is held every year in the month of February. The record-setting activity was given the name of ‘Registan ke jahaaj par Suron ke sartaaj’. Maru Mahotsav was organized in Pokaran village on February 13-16, 2022. The Maru Mahotsav began with a colorful grand procession (shobha yatra) followed by Miss Pokaran and Mr Pokaran competitions. Regional folk dances like Kalbelia, Kachhi Ghodi and Gair were also performed. The programme was flagged off by Rajasthan’s Minority Affairs Minister Saleh Mohammad. The camel competitions associated with the desert festival took place amidst the beautiful dunes of the Thar Desert at Sam Tibba, 42 km from Jaisalmer city.

The record-setting activity involved 50 camels adorned with colorful fringes and flowers. The audience, involving locals and tourists from around the country, was mesmerized when the traditional musicians of Rajasthan state performed folk music on musical instruments like dhol, harmonium, sarangi, shahnai, dholak, etc. Generally, a lot of foreign tourists enjoy this festival every year, but this time due to the restrictions on international flights because of the pandemic, most of the visitors were locals. It was a wonderful and memorable sight. Although this event is held almost every year, it was for the first time that such a large number of camels and folk musicians participated in the event.

To conclude the felicitation ceremony, the certificate was presented to the District Collector Dr. Pratibha Singh, IAS, by the adjudicator of India Book of Records. The program was conducted by theater artists Vijay Ballani, Preeti Bhatia and Paras Swami.