Jaisalmer Bikaner Camel Hair Wool Weaving Rajasthan

Camel hair weaving is a traditional craft of Rajasthan's Thar desert communities, particularly in Jaisalmer and Bikaner districts, where the under-fleece of the Bikaneri camel (a native double-humped camel breed) is harvested by combing during the annual spring moult, spun into yarn, and woven into shawls, saddle blankets, bags, and carpet on horizontal desert looms. Camel hair has natural thermal insulation properties — warmer than sheep wool — and the fine under-fleece produces a soft, lightweight yarn comparable to cashmere. Raika (Rabari) and Sindhi Muslim camel herder communities produce the raw hair, while Jat and other desert weaver communities process and weave. Products include natural undyed camel-beige blankets and shawls, and dyed geometric-pattern camel hair rugs. The craft has received craft fair support and fair-trade export interest. Camel hair from Rajasthan is also exported raw to Italian cashmere processing mills. The Jaisalmer and Barmer camel hair cooperatives supply both domestic craft retail and export buyers in Europe and Japan.