After the festival in Kochi, I found myself again in the right place at the right time. My stay in Jaisalmer coincided with the 2018 annual Desert Festival.
The Festival consisted of an inaugural parade through the centre of Jaisalmer. People dressed in traditional costumes.
The parade ended in the stadium where the crowd, including luminaries, were waiting for the day’s activities.
I managed to talk myself into the photographers’ area for the best view in the house.
There were dances and several competitions on the stage: Mr Moustache, Miss Moonal (a mythological Juliet), Mr Desert, and Indian and foreigner turban tying.
The competitions were a ponderous affair as we waited ages for contestants to come on, judges to appear, a roll call from the announcers in Hindi and English then a reordering of the contestants! Apparently this happens every year according to someone who’d seen it several times.
After about an hour of this, and the merciless scorching sun, I decided to seek shelter.
