Camels in Rajasthan can be seen in wedding processions to carry grooms to their brides during COVID-19 pandemic. They are also been used to transport stationery, school notes to students in far flung areas. EBNW Story finds out if camels can bring back the old era where the ship of desert was used to carry lawazama and if this trend can help boost tourism in coming days…!
Camels in desert! A sudden whisper brings back this beautiful long legged animal walking on sandy terrains. With the modernisation, this ship of desert was replaced with cars, jeeps, motorbikes etc and hence its number started dwindling, however, now, this animal has found its lost significance back as it is much in demand for carrying out baraats and ferrying teachers to students in far-flung areas.
This animal can be seen ferrying baraatis during the wedding season. Seen as the new style statement for wedding parties, these camels are dolled up with nose pins, ghungroos, mirror-fitted garments and other baubles.
The travel agents opine that the coming years will bring back the old days when erstwhile royals carried lawazama during wedding parties.
This lawazma included elephants and camels which carried royal families during wedding ceremonies.
“The once famous practice of ‘Lawazma’, in which camels and elephants were used by the erstwhile royals for their wedding processions, has come back in these pandemic times, says Chaturbhuj Singh of Rajputana Cabs, who organises camel safaris in Jaisalmer, Pushkar and other such places in Rajasthan.
“In the coming days, this theme will be much in demand. As the state opens up completely, our foreign guests would love to tie the knot with a wedding procession on the lines of a ‘Lawazma’. European tourists, anyway, are in love with the ship of the desert,” he says.
Sanjay Kaushik, a representative of the tour operators association says, “Baraat on camel will surely be a novel trend which will catch up with foreign guests who have been coming to India to tie the knot. As this trend is new, it shall surely give a big boost to tourism in post pandemic era,” he says.
