Thar Festival begins in Barmer with colourful processions and competitions
While the women filled the streets with colour and rhythm, the men performed the traditional ‘Gair’ dance.
The Thar Festival began in Rajasthan’s Barmer on Wednesday with a grand and colourful procession, camels, horses, folk dancers, and women carrying decorated pots on their heads.
While the women filled the streets with colour and rhythm, the men performed the traditional ‘Gair’ dance, with artists presenting vibrant folk performances added to the festive atmosphere.
The lively procession wound its way through the city’s main streets before concluding at Adarsh Stadium, where a series of traditional competitions took place amid loud cheers and cultural pride.
Nakshatri, a student at Mumbai’s Sophia College, was crowned Thar Sundari. Originally from Barmer, Nakshatri arrived at the event wearing around 350 grams of gold jewellery. She will now serve as a brand ambassador for the Barmer district administration.
Dharmendra Dabi, a local mechanic specialising in motor rewinding, bagged the Thar Shree title.
In the horse-riding event, Barmer’s Roopsingh showcased his horse Shyam, claiming it to be a seven-time champion in local fairs, including the Panihari Mela.
A unique grandfather-grandson race also drew attention, with 67-year-old Moolaram and his 14-year-old grandson Mahipal emerging winners. The couple race was won by Sawai Ram, a government school teacher, and his wife Lata. Both ran hand-in-hand to the finish line, with Lata dressed in traditional Rajasthani attire.
Ratni from Bishala village claimed the top spot in the ‘matka’ (claypot) race for women. Participants ran with pots balanced on their heads, and some even lost their pots mid-race, adding to the fun and excitement of the event.
On Day 2 of the festival, the state tourism department will host a series of cultural and traditional events at the historic Kiradu temple complex on Thursday. The tourism department assistant director Kamleshwar Singh said cultural performances will be held from 9-9:30am at the Panch Gaurav Sthal, followed by games such as kabaddi, satoliya, couple and grandfather-grandson races, handkerchief snatch, mehndi, and rangoli competitions till 1pm.
Later in the evening, from 7-10pm, folk artists will present cultural performances at the Mahabar sand dunes, featuring renowned performers from across Rajasthan.
