Camel riding in Rajasthan has remained the cheapest mode of transport as well as the most enduring and fuel efficient. To add to its eco-friendliness, most camel carts today come fitted with tyres rejected by the aviation industry.
Camels are popular transport means in Rajasthan, even in the medieval times; it was an important component of trading caravans. But it also played an important role in defence strategies. Bikaner’s 18th Maharaja, Ratan Singh, won over the British with his gesture of sending across 200 camels to serve in the first Afghan War.
Again, it was the progressive Maharaja Ganga Singh who founded the world’s first camel corps when raised he Ganga Risalla. By the time World War I commenced, the Bikaner camels had a well-established reputation and were called into service in Egypt. And after India got its independence, the Risalla went on to become an army battalion. Although it was later disbanded, the Border Security Force (BSF) uses camels for patrolling its long desert border with Pakistan even today.
It is not surprising that the National Research Centre on Camels is located in Bikaner, 8 km from the city centre. Close to 300 camels live in the pens and open stables here. Among the Indian breeds, the Bikanari (distinguished by its tawny colour) and Jaisalmeri (lighter of colour and slimmer of build) are considered superior. The Bikaneri camel was used on the battlefield and the Jaisalmeri for patrolling, though both have been employed equally for the less glorious purpose of carrying loads over long distances. The third most popular Indian breed is the Gujarati camel. Darker and smaller than the other two, it’s said to yield he highest quantity of milk.
Camels are popular transport means in Rajasthan, even in the medieval times; it was an important component of trading caravans. But it also played an important role in defence strategies. Bikaner’s 18th Maharaja, Ratan Singh, won over the British with his gesture of sending across 200 camels to serve in the first Afghan War.
Again, it was the progressive Maharaja Ganga Singh who founded the world’s first camel corps when raised he Ganga Risalla. By the time World War I commenced, the Bikaner camels had a well-established reputation and were called into service in Egypt. And after India got its independence, the Risalla went on to become an army battalion. Although it was later disbanded, the Border Security Force (BSF) uses camels for patrolling its long desert border with Pakistan even today.
It is not surprising that the National Research Centre on Camels is located in Bikaner, 8 km from the city centre. Close to 300 camels live in the pens and open stables here. Among the Indian breeds, the Bikanari (distinguished by its tawny colour) and Jaisalmeri (lighter of colour and slimmer of build) are considered superior. The Bikaneri camel was used on the battlefield and the Jaisalmeri for patrolling, though both have been employed equally for the less glorious purpose of carrying loads over long distances. The third most popular Indian breed is the Gujarati camel. Darker and smaller than the other two, it’s said to yield he highest quantity of milk.
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