Now, camels exchange your currency in Jaisalmer

IT'S A CAMEL! The mobile camel banks were started by the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur.

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Jaisalmer: Enterprising Rajasthanis go to many lengths to ensure their state’s mainstay – tourism – goes on without any hitches.

To that end, the State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur had started mobile banks, which have been present at the desert festival in Jaisalmer since the past 20 years.

These are true Godsends for many tourists who find themselves running out of Indian currency.

A tourist, Maureen Stevens, found herself in just such a situation. But the camel bank came to her rescue and handed her Rs 740 in for ₤10.

“I've been to many foreign exchange places but today I have no money left and I was looking for an exchange place and I found the camel bank. It’s amazing!” the British tourist enthused.

The only change since the inception of mobile banks two decades ago is that camels have now replaced the bullock carts.

“Camel is the ship of the desert that's why we've chosen the camel to be our money exchanger,” explained an employee, Ugra Ram, of the State Bank’s Jaisalmer branch.

So when the ship of the desert dishes out money, the festival gets added charm.

With inputs by Dinesh Bohra