Camel Herders

The Rabari of Rajasthan, India

The Rabari are a tribal group of cattle and camel herders who have roamed the deserts of Northwest India for hundreds of years. Traditionally, they followed a highly nomadic way of life, but today most Rabari live in villages, which consist of small white washed, mud walled houses with thatched roofs. Every year in November hundreds of herdsmen descend upon the small town of Pushkar, Rajasthan to trade and sell their kathiawari horses and camels. It is one of the oldest and most famous camel fairs in the world. Their way of life may become untenable, as the land on which they depend for grazing is rapidly disappearing to make way for the residential and industrial developments required by India’s growing population.