Classic Rajasthani moustaches are celebrated throughout the festival with an emphasis on the first day where competitions for moustache length are held.
While traveling in the Thar desert separating India and Pakistan, I heard about a festival that takes place in the 12th-century fort city of Jaisalmer which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I was instantly intrigued by the description of this all-out exhibition which includes camel races, turban-tying and longest moustache competitions, camel polo matches, fire dances, and Air Force stunts, to name a few, and decided to shoot the festival. As soon as the grand finale of the first day started, strong wind gusts lifted the sand and made it hard to follow the spectacle, giving it the appearance of a mythical tale. In recent years, the state of Rajasthan has been investing large sums of money to make Jaisalmer's Desert Festival as majestic as the many traditions it represents in an attempt to attract tourists to the region; an annual festival that sheds light on local customs.
