On the camel's back

A bond that has lasted for thousands of years.

Just fifteen years ago, the Raika people—or Rabari (literally "outsiders")—were still seen throughout northwestern India. They lived a semi-nomadic life and were often seen on the edge of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan and Gujarat. If someone happened to spot a few Raikas herding cattle, they would likely hear sounds before they saw them. First, perhaps the jingling of brass bells around the necks of the livestock. Then the sound of a stone falling into the grass, or the distinctive, hoarse call of a Raika urging the herd to slow down. Finally, from behind the sun-scorched grass, amidst swirling dust, two or three crimson turbans appeared, covering sun-weathered faces.

Sheep, goats, and other livestock are not the primary animals; the Raika people's image has always been closely associated with camels. Their semi-nomadic life on camelback is not only a cultural tradition but also a heritage and a sacred religious belief. The Raika have been herding and protecting camels in Rajasthan for hundreds, even thousands of years.

Legend says that the goddess Parvati created a five-legged creature and asked her husband, the supreme god Shiva, to breathe life into it. Initially, Shiva refused because the creature was too strangely shaped. But eventually, he relented, giving it life and transforming the fifth leg into a hump on its back. Thus, the camel was born. Then, Parvati wished for someone to care for the camel. Hearing this, Shiva took a piece of skin from his arm and created Sarma, the first Raika, from whom the Raika tribe originated. According to this mythology, the Raika were born because of camels, creating an unusual connection between the two.

Nomadic cultureon camel's backThe Raika people have long been celebrated and promoted through various forms such as annual fairs and homestay services. The Pushkar Fair, also known as the Pushkar Camel Fair, is one of the oldest cultural and livestock fairs in India. This fair alone attracts approximately 20% of Pushkar's annual tourist arrivals.

The Raika people also engage in tourism through homestays, offering visitors the opportunity to experience the unique lifestyle of a typical semi-nomadic camel herder in the Thar Desert.

Currently, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and strict Indian laws, the Pushkar Fair has been suspended, but the Raika people continue to maintain their homestay and camel tourism services.

Camels are present in most traditional Raika activities, such as in Toran (the procession when the groom arrives to pick up the bride) and Nikasi (when the bride and groom leave after the wedding). Camels are considered a valuable dowry; the more camels one owns, the higher their prestige and reputation within the tribe. The Raika drink camel milk believing that it is a way for the gods to bestow upon them wisdom, strength, and courage. For the Raika, camels are the embodiment of good fortune, capable of predicting the weather when rain is coming, and a domesticated camel will always know its way home. Sometimes, when a Raika caravan travels across the scorching desert, they simply nap on the backs of camels and let them lead the way.

During the Raika's migration, it is usually the women who lead the way, swaying on large camels—with charpoi woven beds, baby cradles, pots and pans tied to the camels' backs as they rock in rhythm; newborn babies nursing in their mothers' arms, and husbands leisurely walking behind with flocks of sheep and goats.

Such scenes have become increasingly rare, so rare that even Indian people passing by from the city are surprised to see them, stopping their cars and taking pictures with their phones, capturing the moment when old and new India meet.

These days, seeing a herd of camels in India is not an easy feat.

Camels are gradually disappearing.

"Camels are also part of the family," shared Bhanwarlal, 35, a member of the Raika tribe. "Children are attached to camels from a young age. They live and die with us."

When the dry season arrives, Bhanwarlal and his companions are ready to move again. With their flocks of sheep, goats, and camels adorned with jingling bells and colorful pom-poms, they traverse thousands of miles of the acacia-covered Thar Desert to the summer meadows. Like other Raika men, Bhanwarlal dons a crimson turban and a white tunic, continuing the nomadic life his ancestors have lived for centuries.

Now, that sacred journey is in danger of disappearing due to a series of threats, the most serious being the decline in the camel population. Since 1993, the number of camels in India (all descendants of the dromedary or Arabian camel) has been steadily decreasing. According to the 20th camel census, from 2012 to 2019, the total number of camels in the country decreased by 37%. It is estimated that there are now fewer than 200,000 camels remaining out of nine camel breeds, 80% of which live in Rajasthan for breeding, transportation, wool, milk, and plowing. This situation continues due to various reasons.

The first explanation is the disappearance of grazing areas due to deforestation (such as the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary), intensive agriculture (well digging), irrigation projects (the Indira Gandhi Canal), road construction, urban expansion, and the installation of solar and wind farms, which have reduced the space for camels to graze. Less food leads to camels becoming more susceptible to disease and affects their reproductive cycle.

In addition, the spread of diseases, especially those caused by parasites, is a major factor. The rate of camel infections due to ticks and other unidentified diseases is increasing. Veterinary services are only available in hospitals or on large farms, but camels are sick year-round, and it's not always possible to take them to a hospital.

The camel population has declined sharply also due toThere are no buyers for male camels.Furthermore, many Raika people have even had to sell their female camels at the Pushkar and Tilwara fairs. Before 2000, they never did this; traditionally, only male camels were traded. Selling the female camels is the final sign of resignation for the Raika people, as it means the entire herd will no longer be able to reproduce. Worse still, under the impact of Covid-19, traditional markets have begun to close. Camel festivals, filled with folk music and dances, overflowing with food and handicraft stalls, festivals where camels could be bought and sold quickly, have almost completely disappeared.

In response to the high demand for female camels, the Raika people requested the government to ban the slaughter of female camels to preserve the species. However, in 2015, the Rajasthan state government passed the Camel Act, imposing a complete ban on the slaughter of both male and female camels, thus eliminating a stable source of income for the camel breeders.

"This law has caused quite a bit of controversy," shared Ilse Köhler-Rollefson, a German veterinarian. "Restricting the trade of domesticated animals is impractical because it's closely tied to profit. The Raika people have to sell male camels to make a living."

Faced with this difficulty, a Raika family – Mr. Bhanwarlal, living in Malari village – decided to send their children to school in the city, encouraging them to earn a living in ways other than camel farming.

Ultimately, the reason camels gradually disappeared was because...A lack of a milk processing and marketing system.Camel milk is highly prized, often referred to as "white gold of the desert." It's not only delicious but also rich in vitamins and very low in fat, due to camels feeding on both wild grasses and medicinal plants. However, currently only camel milk from the Kumbhalgarh region is accepted at a reasonable price. To date, the Rajasthan Dairy Federation has not officially approved the sale of camel milk, and because it's a distance-based payment system, the price remains very low.

Ironically, both Hindu and Muslim camel herders in India insist that they treat camels like their own children and never slaughter them for meat, and of course, they never want to sell camel milk. They believe that milk should be given away for free, as it is a gift from the gods. The Raika have a popular proverb that goes:Dudh bechna, beta bechna”, means “Selling breast milk is like selling your own child."The only product that traditional beliefs allow the Raika people to sell is young male camels (purchased for draft purposes). They only do this once a year at camel markets. Previously, they wouldn't sell anything, whether it was milk, wool, or female camels."

However, in the current situation, with economic hardship weighing heavily on their shoulders and facing the risk of their millennia-old culture fading away, the Raika people are still forced to sell camel milk to make a living.

"We're still surviving thanks to one thing: selling camel milk," said Bhanwarlal. "Unless the government gives us some incentives, such as establishing milk factories and allowing the trade of male camels to resume, we're doomed."

The decline in camel numbers is also due to several other reasons, for example, the rapid development of the West Indies in recent years has led to camels – "the ships of the desert" – being gradually replaced, especially as they are no longer the preferred choice for transporting people and goods.

“We are trying to draw the attention of political representatives to prevent isolation. The Raika people will cease to exist if other communities continue to ‘boycott’ us, and the camels disappear. And in five years, there may be no camels left in Rajasthan,” said Jogaramji Raika, a leader of a Raika community. “We will do our best to preserve this tradition.”

In their Protocol on the Biocultural Community submitted to the Rajasthan state government, the Raika people outlined six demands and methods for saving Indian camels, as well as their culture and beliefs. Authorities promised to consider and address some of these demands.

Dr. Ilse, one of those who has spent decades researching Indian nomadic culture, co-founded the non-profit organization Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan in 1996 to protect the Raika people and their livelihoods. Many organizations, individuals, and groups around the world have begun to take notice of this people with their beautiful culture. Fundraising, sponsorships, and services supporting nomadic life experiences have been developed, in an effort to preserve the sacred and strong bond between camels and the Raika people.

"This is something our ancestors have been doing for hundreds of thousands of years, and we hope that we can continue to preserve it," Bhanwarlal said. "It is a sacred calling and must not be allowed to fade away."

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