The second edition of this community festival celebrating Rajasthan’s heritage camel culture will be held from 3-5 November on the campus of Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan (LPPS) near Ranakpur-Sadri in Rajasthan’s Pali district. Camel breeders from all corners of Rajasthan and from Kutch will congregate here to discuss the future of Rajasthan’s state animal. They will debate with experts from different fields on how to best capitalize on the rapidly rising demand for camel milk, the fastest growing segment of the global dairy market.
For other visitors, this promises to be a festival for all the senses – a feast for the eye, a treat for the palate, and a delight for the ears, with a rich and varied programme offering something for everybody: art, music, culinary delights, crafts, film and science.
Early morning ‘chaifaris’ to a nomadic camel herd will provide the rare opportunity of catching a glimpse of Rajasthan’s nomadic camel culture. Raika camel herders will show how to drink foamy fresh camel milk in the traditional, eco-friendly way from a folded leaf of the aak tree and will offer invigorating camel milk tea brewed on a wood fire.
Master cheese makers Anne Bruntse from Denmark and Robert Paget from Austria will showcase a palette of delicious camel cheeses, camel milk frothies and other camel milk based goodies, such as strudel and camel cheese cake, available in the rooftop Camel Café.
Christina Adams from the US will share her extensive experience on using camel milk to alleviate symptoms of autism and other diseases.
There will be camel (cart) rides and the opportunity to have your selfie or portrait in full Raika regalia, with turban, herding stick and all, as well as to browse for unique gifts from local artisans in the Camel Craft Haat Bazaar.
A film evening with reknown documentary maker Sanjay Barnela will feature camel films from Mongolia by German anthropologist Amélie Schenk and about the Raika camel culture by German film maker Clara Wieck.
A full moon concert arranged with the support of RIFF (Rajasthan International Folk Festival) on 4th November will feature the desert sufi music of the Manganiyars and excerpts from the epic of Pabuji performed by the Bhopas.
The culmination of the festival will be on 5th November morning when the camel breeders will present their community protocol to His Highness Maharaja Gaj Singhji of Jodhpur outlining their perceptions of how to ensure the survival and welfare of the camel into the future.
