Tuareg Festival: Feast, Fest and grains of sand

Celebrations could be from just lightening candles in Christmas to having rave madness in Rio’s carnival. If there is something which is beyond any taboos and norms is the way man can celebrate. And man does it. Man can celebrate anything, any ways and any where. Even if it means in middle of some desert where the temperatures are of scorching heat and speckles of sand in your eyes.

And such is the celebration of Tuareg Festival which has been happening each spring, from last three years, in the hot desert of Sahara. It’s just two hours drive in north of Agadez, Niger, that’s actually in middle of desert- the Sahara.

The Niger’s national government along with the local Tuareg tribal people organizes this Festival Tuareg.

What’s that making it so exciting that you come from half way through world in middle of Sahara desert? Well its these tribal people, and experiencing with them, their own life and living. To have sumptuous, delicious delectable, to hear the music and dance underneath the sky littered with tiny little bulbs of stars. And well there is more to go…

This is a three-day event, in world’s largest desert, on sandy patch earth, here becomes center of the Tuareg world.

Once you arrive at this Tuareg world of Tuared festival, upon its first sighting all you will see is the traditional and customs of Tuareg Tribe.

Men will be seen in head-covering with cheches, with their traditional blue bubu robes that trails to ground. As men and women keep dropping in by Land Cruiser and Camel cruiser for the days of festival, the tribe of Tuareg gets together to meet up, greets, and even trades. The tribe’s women will be seen in plenty all socializing, and reuniting with their family and friends, sighted gossiping around the edges.

This is a semi-nomadic tribe of Tuaregs, which is also called as “the blue men” and tahts because they seem to have blue skin. Hey nope these are no different, but have normal skin like us. Rather this blue tinge on their skin is because of the blue color robes that they wear, uses ground lapis that’s used for coloring their robes, keeps rubbing off on their skin and that’s why these men are men in blue! Tuareg people are known to be initially standoffish when with strangers, but once acquainted, you will be their bosom pal and they are most genial and welcoming of hosts.

At Tuareg festival you can shop till you drop if you like to have the authentic goods, very intricately made handmade local handicrafts as well as Berber silver jewelry. These are damn beautiful and could become a superb piece of décor at home and souvenir to take home as well as some different gift to give.

Well you must have sexy legs of stunning and stupendous models walking on ramp, wearing exotic designer wear, at Tuareg Festival there is another beauty pageant which can match no other in world and that is beauty pageant of camels other then beauty contest that are held. But the most exciting is of camel! Because they have to be judged for their beauty, strength, by a race and how they have been decorated. And that’s fun and very hilarious event, but you ought to see the spirit of competition in Tuareg people, as how they cheer for their camel as if some lover is passionate.

Other then that there are singing competitions, beauty contests, and artistic prowess, while these Tuaregs take all these competitions very seriously as they shout and cheer for their representatives. And such is the enthusiasm which is very much commendable.

The festival craze draws Tuaregs from far away as Mali, Libya and Algeria.

The excitement doesn’t just keeps to day time but heightens with night at night, as day’s scheduled programs are out of way, festival’s central stage gets cleared, where the uniquely North African style of rock and roll shows breaks out, which takes place each night, people reveling till wee hours of dawn.

Feast: That’s the yummy part and all foodies, this will be three day paradise. There is tasty grilled mutton kebabs and aroma filled fresh breads to eat, and don’t miss to try traditionally sugary with mint Tuareg tea which is served as screaming hot to drink. Well the kebabs here are of many types and taste and you will love licking o your fingers.

Like amazing Sahara itself–as its long chains of the sand dunes that keeps shifting with each movement of the sun and its shade–the character and spirit of festival also changes by very hour. That’s the fun and excitement of being at Tuareg festival but it’s with grain of sand!

Next year’s Festival Tuareg has not been officially scheduled, though it occurs in mid-February. The festival will give you a chance to live a life of nomad and have the best time of desert camping but most of all will give you chance to mingle with men in blue and take in your system some grains of sand.

Popularity: 2% [?]