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The popular Desert Festival is a journey into the heart of the desert, the golden city of Jaisalmer which coincides with the full moon in February. For three days, the otherwise barren land of Jaisalmer comes alive and is clustered with hordes of colourfully dressed people.
All festivals in Jaisalmer has a charm of its own. A true show on the sands which attracts even the much traveled visitor. In fact during these days, Jaisalmer gets a chance to parade its exuberant charm to the world. Some chosen and cherished moments of the glorious and illustrious past and affluent culture are on display. The traditional dances backed by high pitched music take the folk dancers and the audience on an euphoric trip. The turban-tying competition and Mr. Desert Contest add a touch of excitement to the festive celebrations. The desert pulsates with a myriad of Rajasthani dances - Ghoomer, Gangaur, Gair Dhap, Moria, Chari and Tehratal. The famous Gair dancers and the Fire dances are the special highlights of the festival. Folk performers like musicians, ballad singers, snake charmers, and puppeteers all exhibit their traditional skills.
There are exciting camel dances, camel acrobatics, camel races, and camel polo, competitions for the best decorated camel and tug-of-war between musclemen. The culmination is a sound and light spectacle on a moonlit night amidst sand dunes. One can enjoy the pleasure of the camel ride on a trip to the sand dunes at Sam. All arrangements are made by the Department of Tourism and RTDC.
Air: The nearest airport is at Jodhpur (285 kms from Jaisalmer). It has flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Udaipur and Jaipur
Rail & Road: There are convenient rail and road connections to Jaisalmer from Jodhpur (about 285 kms.). Jaisalmer is also situated on National Highway No. 15.