Built for the Thar
The hump: it is a store of fat, not water. A well-fed camel has a firm, upright hump. A hungry one sags.
Drinking: camels can go for long periods without water, then drink huge amounts in minutes when they reach a well.
- The hump
- Stores fat, not water
- Feet
- Broad, padded, made for sand
- Calves
- Usually one, after about a year's pregnancy
- Diet
- Thorny shrubs, khejri leaves, desert grasses
- Sand feet: broad, leathery pads spread the camel's weight so it walks on sand that would bog a horse.
- Desert armour: long eyelashes, closable nostrils and thick lips let it face sandstorms and eat thorny shrubs.
- Heat tolerance: its body temperature can rise through the day and fall at night, saving water it would otherwise lose as sweat.
- Browsers: camels feed on khejri leaves, thorny acacias and desert shrubs that other livestock cannot eat.
Caravans, armies and brides
The caravans: camel trains carried grain, salt, cloth, opium and spices between Gujarat's ports and the cities of the north, through Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Shekhawati.
The merchants: that trade made the Marwari merchant families rich. Read how they spent it in our Shekhawati frescoes guide.
- Water and farming: camels hauled water from deep desert wells, ploughed sandy fields and turned the wheels that raised water.
- War: desert kingdoms kept camel cavalry for speed across sand where horses tired.
- Weddings: grooms rode decorated camels to the bride's village, and wedding parties travelled by camel cart. Many families still remember it.
- Legend: Rajasthani folk tradition credits the hero Pabuji with bringing the first camels to Marwar, and the Raika and Rabari honour him for it.
Bikaner's camel corps
The Ganga Risala: Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner built the state's famous camel corps, named after him.
Overseas service: the corps served the British Empire abroad, including in China around 1900 and in Egypt during the First World War.
- The border today: India's Border Security Force still uses camels to patrol the sandy border in the Thar.
- On parade: the force's camel contingent, with its band, is one of the best-loved sights of the Republic Day parade in Delhi.
- See the city: our Bikaner guide covers Junagarh Fort and the camel country around it.
The Raika and the Rabari
Born herders: the Raika and Rabari of Rajasthan and Gujarat are pastoral communities who have bred and herded camels for centuries.
Origin story: their own tradition says Shiva created the first Rabari to look after Parvati's camels.
- Knowing each animal: a good herder knows every camel by name, temperament and family line, and can read its health at a glance.
- Moving with the grass: many families still walk their herds between grazing grounds for months each year.
- Dress: men in white with large red or white turbans, women in dark skirts and veils with heavy silver jewellery.
- Meet them: our morning with the Rabari herders and the journal on the Rabari tell their story.
The breeds of Rajasthan
Bikaneri
- The heavy one: a big, strong camel bred for draught and load, often with long hair on its ears and brows.
- Where to see it: the herds at the National Research Centre on Camel in Bikaner.
Jaisalmeri
- The racer: lighter and faster, prized as a riding camel for long distances over sand.
- Where to see it: around Jaisalmer and the Sam and Khuri dunes, and at the Desert Festival.
Marwari
- The all-rounder: a hardy camel of the Jodhpur country, used for both riding and work.
Mewari
- The hill camel: bred in the Aravalli country of Mewar, sturdy on rough ground and valued for its milk.
Kachchhi, from Gujarat
- The milker: the camel of Kutch, known for its milk, and also kept in the Bikaner research herds. See Kutch.
Why the camels are disappearing
Trucks and tractors: roads, lorries and tractors replaced the work camels used to do, from ploughing to carrying goods.
Lost grazing: common grazing land, orans and forest edges have been fenced, farmed or closed, leaving herds nowhere to browse.
- 2019 census, India
- About 2.5 lakh camels
- 2019 census, Rajasthan
- About 2.1 lakh
- Change since 2012
- Down by roughly a third
- Share
- Most of India's camels are in Rajasthan
- The 2015 law: a state law to protect camels banned slaughter and restricted taking camels out of Rajasthan. Many herders say it also killed the market for young males.
- Young people leaving: herding is hard and poorly paid, and many young Raika and Rabari choose other work.
- Smaller fairs: the trading at Pushkar and other fairs is smaller each year, even as the tourist programme grows.
- The census: the 2019 livestock census counted about 2.1 lakh camels in Rajasthan, about a third fewer than in 2012.
Milk, wool and a new future
Camel milk: sold commercially in India now, as milk and in sweets, ice cream and even chocolate. Its value gives herders a new income.
The research centre: the National Research Centre on Camel in Bikaner, set up in 1984, studies breeds, health and milk, and has a parlour where you can taste camel-milk tea.
- Herders' organisations: near Sadri, below Kumbhalgarh, the Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan has worked with Raika herders for decades on camel health and herders' rights.
- Wool and leather crafts: camel hair is spun into rugs and shawls, and Bikaner's usta artists paint gold designs on lamps and vessels made from camel hide.
- Tourism done well: fair-paid, well-run camel safaris give herders a reason to keep animals. Badly run ones do the opposite.
The great camel fairs
Pushkar, in Kartik
- The biggest: in October or November, herders bring camels from across Rajasthan to the dunes outside Pushkar.
- Go early: the trading happens in the days before the official programme. Read our Pushkar Camel Fair guide and the Pushkar fair guide.
Bikaner, in January
- A camel celebration: decorated camels, camel dances and races, and the famous fur-cutting designs. See the Bikaner Camel Festival.
Nagaur, in late winter
- A working fair: cattle, bullocks, camels and horses traded in a huge fair below the fort. See the Nagaur Cattle Fair.
Jaisalmer, in Magh
- Desert pageantry: camel races, camel polo and decorated riders on the Sam dunes. See the Desert Festival.
Dressed for the fair
Fur-cutting: herders shear intricate patterns into the camel's coat, flowers, borders and geometric designs, a craft at its finest in Bikaner.
Bells and beads: strings of bells, beads and shells hang from the neck and knees, so a camel is heard before it is seen.
- Saddle cloths: embroidered and mirror-worked cloths and woven girths in bright colours.
- Nose pegs and reins: decorated, though a good handler uses them lightly. Rough tugging on a nose peg is a sign of poor care.
- Dancing camels: at the fairs some camels are trained to step to the drum. Watch, and judge the handler by how calm the animal is.
Riding a camel, kindly
Choose the operator: we work with handlers who keep their camels well fed, rested and watered, and who own the animals they ride.
One rider per camel: unless the camel is large and the riders are a child and an adult, avoid doubling up.
- Best places
- Sam, Khuri, Manvar, Osian dunes
- Best hour
- The last two hours before sunset
- Look for
- Healthy animals, shade, water, calm handlers
- Avoid
- Overloaded, thin or injured camels
- Getting on and off: the camel kneels, rises back legs first and then front, so lean back as it stands and forward as it sits.
- Short is fine: an hour on the dunes at sunset is plenty for most guests, and kinder in the heat.
- Speak up: if a camel is thin, limping or roughly handled, tell us. We stop working with anyone who treats animals badly.
- More detail: our camel safari page and ethical animal encounters page explain our standards.
Where to meet camels in Rajasthan
Sam and Khuri: the dunes west of Jaisalmer, with rides at sunset and camps at night. Read Sam or Khuri.
The research centre in Bikaner: watch the herds come home at dusk and taste camel-milk ice cream.
- Manvar: quieter dunes on the road between Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. See Manvar.
- Osian: short camel rides on the dunes beyond the temples, an easy outing from Jodhpur. See Osian.
- Near Sadri: Raika herds browsing in the scrub below Kumbhalgarh, visited with a local guide.
- Village roads: camel carts still carry fodder and water in the desert villages. Your driver will slow down if you ask.
An overnight camel safari, done properly
Afternoon
- Set out: ride from a village into the dunes as the heat fades, with the camels carrying bedding and supplies.
- At a camel's pace: about walking speed, so you hear the sand, the bells and the larks.
Sunset and evening
- Camp on the dunes: the handlers unload, light a fire and cook bajra rotis and dal.
- Music: in some areas Manganiyar musicians join for the evening. See the Manganiyar singers.
Night and dawn
- Under the stars: sleep on the sand under heavy quilts. Read our stargazing in the Thar note.
- Morning: chai on the fire, then ride back before the sun grows hot.
Camels at the table
Camel-milk tea: slightly salty and light, served by herders and at the Bikaner research centre parlour.
Ice cream and sweets: camel-milk ice cream, kulfi and sweets are made in Bikaner and sold in a few shops in the desert towns.
- Herders' food: Raika and Rabari families live largely on milk, millet and buttermilk, with camel milk an important part of the diet for some.
- Meat: camel slaughter is banned in Rajasthan under the 2015 law, so camel meat is not part of the state's food.
- Desert dishes: our Rajasthani food guide explains what to eat in the camel country.
Camels with children
Start small: a short ride with an adult walking alongside, before any long trek.
Feeding time: at the Bikaner research centre, children can watch calves with their mothers and the herds come home.
- The fair: a morning at Pushkar or Bikaner, with decorated camels and music, is a feast for young eyes.
- Respect: teach children to approach from the side, never behind, and to keep hands away from the mouth.
- Family journeys: our family journeys and family adventure routes include camels gently.
When to meet the camels
October and November: the Pushkar fair in Kartik, and the first comfortable evenings on the dunes.
December to February: cold nights, clear days, the Bikaner festival in January and the Jaisalmer Desert Festival in Magh.
- March: warm, with the last of the comfortable dune evenings.
- April to June: fierce heat. Rides should be short and only at dawn or dusk, for the camels' sake as well as yours.
- Dates: fair dates follow the lunar calendar, so we confirm them each year.
What most visitors miss
The herds coming home: at dusk in Bikaner and the desert villages, herds walk in from grazing in long, dusty lines, calves trotting beside their mothers.
The calves: young camels are gangly, curious and very vocal. Ask a herder to show you one, from a respectful distance.
- The working cart: in the villages a camel cart carrying water drums or fodder is still a daily sight, and nothing like a tourist ride.
- The trading: at Pushkar the real business happens at dawn in the days before the official programme, in quiet conversations and handshakes.
- The herder's skill: watch how a good handler calms a camel with his voice, not the rope. It tells you everything about how the animal is kept.
Fitting camels into a journey
Desert routes: our desert triangle and Under the Thar Sky journeys include the dunes and Bikaner.
- Fairs: the Pushkar Camel Fair journey and the Desert Festival journey.
- Camps: our guide to luxury desert camps explains where to sleep near the dunes.
- Who will love it: families, photographers and anyone curious about desert life. Those who dislike heat and dust should keep it to a sunset ride.
Before you go
Clothes: long, loose trousers stop the saddle rubbing, and a scarf keeps sand out of your face.
Sun and water: a hat, sunscreen and water even for a short ride, since the dunes reflect heat and light.
- Hold on: grip the saddle handle firmly as the camel kneels and rises. It is a lurch, never a fall, if you lean the right way.
- Cameras: use a strap. A phone dropped from a camel's height into sand is hard to find.
- Tip the handler: directly, at the end, if the camel was well kept and the ride was kind.