The annual desert festival in the desert city of Jaisalmer has all the ingredients of a pulsating festival, sun, sand and traditional fervour. The festival at Jaisalmer, situated at a distance of 450 kilometres from Jaipur, transforms the city's otherwise auburn landscape into a riot of colours and draws a large number of tourists and locals alike who flock to the place to witness the splendour.

A throng of locals and tourists station themselves at the vantage points to catch a glimpse of the procession and the artists and performers who dance their way through the city's narrow alleys in their traditional garb.

The festival is an annual tourism promotional affair since 1979. For three days the very rich and colourful Rajasthani folk culture is on show here. Handsome Rajasthani men and tall beautiful women dressed in their brilliantly hued picturesque costumes dance and sing haunting ballads of valour, romance and tragedy. Some chosen and cherished moments of the glorious and illustrious past and affluent culture are on display.

The usual fair attractions are there - snake charmers, puppeteers, acrobats, folk performers do brisk business. As the desert echos with the melodies folk songs and dances typical to the region, the reverberation of their beats could be felt from miles afar.

Camels, the lifeline of the desert, play a major role. Proud moustached villagers, dressed in their ethnic best come astride their picturesquely caparisoned camels to join in the camel dances and competitions of camel acrobatics, camel races and décor, camel polo, tug of war and the like.

The Langa and Manganiyar folk musicians, the brisk pace of Rajasthani folk dances like Gair, Dhyap, Gangaur, Ghoomar, Moria, Terathal, Rajasthani handicrafts are the other attractions at the festival.

The centuries-old three-day festival, attracts a diverse crowd, from foreign tourists to village women in bright red and orange saris, with scarves covering their faces, to turbaned men.

The famous Gair dancers and the traditional fire-dancers leave the crowds enchanted whenever they perform. The turban-tying competition and Mr. Desert Contest add a touch of excitement to the festive celebrations. It celebrates the culture and history of Rajasthan with traditional music, dance, food and offbeat events such as camel decoration and a turban-tying contest for foreign tourists and a camel dance. Competitions like the turban tying caught the fancy of the local populace and tourists alike who try their hand at the tough-to-master skill of turban tying. It is fun to see the mixing of the foreign tourists and the host. The tourist can also participate in some contests, which is better than being just a spectator.

Another interesting event at the fest is the moustache competition that leaves the participants vying for the best-maintained and longest moustache.

The grand finale is a trip to the sand dunes where one can enjoy the pleasure of a camel ride and at times also view the musicians and dancers performing on the dunes.