kalbelia dancers in jaisalmer, rajasthan
Once a year, Darter Photography travels with a small group of photography enthusiasts on a photography tour to Rajasthan. We visit and photograph a diverse set of locations that included Rajasthan’s heritage sites, people, culture and its colourful desert landscapes. Here is an article published in Terrascape, a travel magazine, about a part of this trip on photographing the desert landscapes, culture and people of Jaisalmer.
In Jaisalmer, With a Camera.
Her anklets tinkled slowly as she gracefully moved around the bonfire. Her partially cupped hands moved back and forth gently to the sound of music. In the background, the strings of Ravana Hatha produced melodies that alternated between Kesariya Balam, recent bollywood numbers and centuries-old traditional music of the desert. She seamlessly adjusted her grace in tune with the changing music, with an apparent perfection in smallest of her moves. Her perfection extended to her dress – bejewelled red top and a skirt filled with mirror work and embroideries. Nirmal, the Kalbelia dancer performing in the heart of Thar Desert, delved so deeply into her steps that she could loose herself in the performance, and in turn made her audience loose themselves.
Connoisseurs of art could not have asked for more from the devoted Kalbelia dancer and her troupe of singers with a deep voice. But we, a bunch of photographers were still left unsatiated. The burning bonfire provided a perfect environment to watch the performance, but the low light made our cameras struggle. Thankfully, we had planned out for more next morning.
kalbelia dancers in jaisalmer, rajasthan
Early next morning, we drove out with Nirmal and a pair of singers to into the heart of the desert – to the ridge of a long stretch of sand dunes. They setup their harmonium and tabla over the sand and began singing as Nirmal unfolded her magic to the tunes. As the sun rose over the horizon and lit up the desert landscape, a silhouetted dancer and the accompanying singers along with the bright orange ball glowing in the sky offered a feast to our cameras that froze those elegant moments forever.
sand dunes in the deserts of jaisalmer, rajasthan
Such creative excitements kept us on our toes every single day that we spent at Jaisalmer. Only a few hours before we saw the Kalbelia Dancers in action, we were going all ‘click click’ with a group of camel that happily posed for us during the sunset hour. The cotton candy clouds – a less common phenomenon in a usually clear desert-sky – offered us a dramatic background against the dark shapes of camel on the wavy dunes. A turbaned old man leading the camel into the sunset, the line of camel with curved jaws that make them look ever-smiling, the fine grains of the golden sand piled into wavy dunes and the golden colours of the sun made the perfect recipe for that perfect image.
camel safari in the sand dunes of jaisalmer, rajasthan
camel safari in the sand dunes of jaisalmer, rajasthan
camel safari in the sand dunes of jaisalmer, rajasthan
Much earlier, our quest for beautiful things to capture in Jaisalmer had begun on a pleasant winter morning as we glided on a boat over the calm waters of Gadissar Lake. The large lake, surrounded by pillared pavilions and arched shelters (chhatris) that are so typical of every place in Rajasthan, did not give us a hint of what was to come beyond the town. The bastions of Jaisalmer Fort loomed at a distance when we looked back at the shore from the boat, as a tiny strip of habitation against deep blue skies that reflected as a deeper hue in the lake’s waters.
gadisagar lake in jaisalmer, rajasthan
Later, seeing the fort from up close, it appeared more like a village fortified by mistake than the place to host a king’s subjects that can hold up against the enemy. Inside the fort were narrow alleys leading to temples, houses and shops selling memorabilia for the tourists, with a palace in the center that almost merged with its down-to-earth surroundings. The approach to the fort was taken by Ravan Hatha artists playing effortlessly for visitors and traditionally dressed men and women selling colourful wares that may interest the tourist. All kind of stuff that were good for our cameras.
patwa haveli in jaisalmer, rajasthan
Not far from the fort was Patwa Haveli, a monument that once caught the interest of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when she was flying over the town. The haveli is a work of intricate art with finely carved designs on its outer walls. The insides are converted to a museum and the life of the merchants who once owned the building unfolds as you move from room to room. But outside, hawkers and vendors unfold the beautiful puppets and colourful headgears, letting the colours of Jaisalmer come alive in contrast to the sandy hues that dominate most of the town. For years, I have been seeing an old man with a yellow turban selling shiny blue peafowl feathers in the vicinity, attracting buyers as well as camera totting tourists.
No matter how much you wander the town, walk through its narrow alleys or glimpse the desert at a distance from the citadels of Jaisalmer Fort, nothing prepares you for what awaits at the sands. The waves of golden sand dunes with long striations formed by desert winds is a thing made for Bollywood, as well as for the cameras. The mustachioed camel drivers wearing dhotis, white tops and turbans pulling a camel behind them only add to the photogenic landscape. As the evening sun paints the sky with bright hues – several shades of orange that slowly morph into deep red before the darkness takes over – the slow gait of lines of camel over the sands forms the perfect foreground to a picturesque vista.
The deserts of Jaisalmer pampered our senses. But the hungry group of photographers found many things charming beyond the obvious tourist attractions. We went to little dhabas by the streets and captured them busy at work. As we drove through the desert, we found carcass of a sheep hounded by vultures, which also became a subject for the cameras. In the villages, we found the women in red carrying multiple tiers of pots from the village well to their houses. We went on camel rides and made the brave effort to photograph the village life even as our camel trotted, bounced and expressed clear disinterest in having us on their backs. There was something interesting in every corner of the town.
At the end of the visit, we had a truck load of images to download from the memory cards. And then there were truckloads of beautiful memories and impressions accumulated in this beautiful desert country.
See more details and join our photography tour to Rajasthan.
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