The FIRST PSA
PHOTO GATHERING
The first of its kind will be organized in India
PSA-PG 2023 will be held at Jaisalmer in the State of Rajasthan, India. In Jaisalmer, an annual event is organized by the Tourism Department of the Government of Rajasthan to attract tourists from all over the world and uplift Rajasthan’s cultural heritage. It is called the “Maru Mahotsav” or Jaisalmer Desert Festival. The PSA-PG 2023 is being organized in concurrence with this three-day-long extravaganza of traditional Rajasthani dance, folk music, local handicraft fairs, and interesting competitions of the Desert Festival.
JAISALMER
Jaisalmer is a princely state in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, in the heart of the Thar Desert. Known as the "Golden City," it's distinguished by its yellow sandstone architecture. Dominating the skyline is Jaisalmer Fort, a sprawling hilltop citadel buttressed by 99 bastions. Behind its massive walls stand the ornate Maharaja's Palace and intricately carved Jain temples.
_edited.jpg)
Duration:
31st Jan - 7th Feb 2023
Location:
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India
Festival:
3 Days Desert Festival
THE TOUR
The PSA-PG 2023 will be an eight-day long event including the three days of the Desert Festival. The other days will include Photo Tours to various cultural heritage sites and dunes. It will be a unique experience and full of opportunities to do Pictorial Photography, Travel Photography, Photojournalism, Portraiture, Sports Photography, and much more. The “Maru Mahotsav” - Desert Festival, is scheduled from 03rd February to 05th February 2023. With the Desert Festival in the middle, the two days preceding the festival and the two days after the closing of the festival will be specially designed photo opportunities for the PSA-PG 2023 participants. Arrangements are being made for the participants of the PSA-PG 2023 to attend the festival and photograph the spectacular events.
Welcome Day 1
On the first day of the PSA-PG 2023, there will be a five-hour program for reception and registration of the participants followed by an introductory briefing.
Day 2/3
From the second day onwards, it will be all photography, photography, and photography for the rest of the days. Keeping the Desert Festival in the middle of the two days preceding the festival and the two days after the closing of the festival is specially designed for photo opportunities for the PSA-PG 2023 participants at various sites within the city of Jaisalmer and the Great Indian Desert (Thar Desert) dunes. Arrangements are being made to have Dance Troupe and Musicians who will serve as models at various locations. They will be dressed in traditional attire and the musicians will play traditional musical instruments. During the second and third day, some of the special attractions will be the Sunrise at Gadisar Lake, the architectural treasure of the intricate carvings on the Royal Palaces (Havelis), Domicile Cranes at the Khichan Bird Sanctuary, and the abandoned village of Kuldhara.
Day 4/5/6
The desert Festival is a celebration of the grandeur and captivating culture of Rajasthan.
The festival showcases a glimpse of the cultural heritage of Rajasthan through various performances – like Kalbelia Dance, Ghoomar Dance, Kacchi-Ghodi Dance, Gair Dance, traditional folk music and competitions – like Camel Race, Horse Race, Mr. Desert Competition, Turban Tying Competition, Camel Polo and much more. The festival also features handicraft fairs and Rajasthani Food.
It will be a unique experience and full of photographic opportunities to do Pictorial Photography, Travel Photography, Photojournalism, Portraiture, Sports Photography and lots more.
Desert Festival Events
.jpg)
Day 7/8
On the seventh and eighth days, the special attractions are the visit to The Golden Fort (the only living fort in the world), and the Sunset at the Khuri desert dunes. The next day the life in a Rajasthani village and we will also get a four-hour slot for shopping. There will be opportunities to buy Rajasthani handicrafts, camel leather items, curios and artefacts, home decor items, yellow sandstone items, silver jewellery, silk and cotton textiles with Rajasthani print, and many more attractive items.
We will complete the tour with a valedictory celebration and gala dinner
HOTELS
The tariff mentioned here is specially discounted rates for the PSA Photo Gathering Participants.
On registration, you will receive a Unique Registration Number. You have to quote this number at the time of booking your accommodation to avail of the special discount.
All room tariffs mentioned are on a twin-sharing basis.
Twin sharing - Two separate people pay half the room cost each separately and share the room.
Single occupancy - One person booking one full room
Double occupancy - Two people (couple or together) booking one room and paying collectively.
.jpg)
PREMIUM
Steps to book your accommodation in Rang Mahal
Step 1: CLICK HERE to fill out the form to book your room.
Step 2: Booking confirmation will be sent by the hotel.
Step 3: Following email will have the payment link to pay and complete your reservation.
Steps to book your accommodation in Hotel Sky Plaza
Step 1: CLICK HERE to fill out the form to book your room.
Step 2: In response, a payment link will be sent by the hotel to pay and complete your reservation.
Step 3: Confirmation will be sent on receipt of payment.
.jpg)
STANDARD
.jpg)
STANDARD
Steps to book your accommodation in Akashdeep:
Step 1: CLICK HERE to fill out the form to book your room.
Step 2: In response, a payment link will be sent by the hotel to pay and complete your reservation.
Step 3: Confirmation will be sent on receipt of payment.
* The hotel tariff is in INR, which is converted to USD only for reference. The final rate will be on the basis of the conversion rate at the time of booking.
INFO ON HOTEL & TRAVEL
TRAVEL
For International Participants
General rules on visa & legal procedures for arriving in India
For Visa and Travel Rules & Restrictions to visit India check the websites mentioned here:
https://www.mha.gov.in/PDF_Other/AnnexI_01022018.pdf
https://www.mha.gov.in/PDF_Other/AnnexIII_01022018.pdf
It is suggested to reach New Delhi and not directly to Jaisalmer. The reason is Jaisalmer has very limited flight service and if you book a ticket directly to Jaisalmer, it will be costlier, duration of the journey will be much longer with a lot of stopovers and layovers.
Further, those who are coming to India with an e-Visa must have an Entry Point from any of the 25 designated cities and Jaisalmer is not among those 25 cities.
Flight Connection:
From New Delhi book a domestic flight and the details are here below
Spicejet is the only airline that operates flights to Jaisalmer. The best flight connection is through New Delhi. There are only two non-stop flights and the details are as mentioned below.
New Delhi to Jaisalmer
1st Flight: SpiceJet SG - 123
Departure: 10:30, Mon, 30 or 31 Jan 2023, Terminal: 1D, New Delhi, India
Duration: 01 h 30 m
Arrival: 12:00, Mon 30 or Tue 31 Jan 2023, Terminal 1, Jaisalmer, India
Baggage: CHECK IN: 15 Kgs (1 piece only), CABIN: 7 Kgs (1 piece only)
2nd Flight : SpiceJet SG - 3757
Departure: 15:15, Mon, 30 or 31 Jan 2023, Terminal: 1D, New Delhi, India
Duration: 01 h 30 m
Arrival: 16:40, Mon 30 or Tue 31 Jan 2023, Terminal: 1, Jaisalmer, India
Baggage: CHECK IN: 15 Kgs (1 piece only), CABIN: 7 Kgs (1 piece only)
Jaisalmer to New Delhi
1st Flight: SpiceJet SG - 124
Departure: 12:30, Wed, 08 Feb 2023, Terminal: 1, Jaisalmer, India
Duration: 01 h 50 m
Arrival: 14:20, Wed, 08 Feb 2023, Terminal: 1C, New Delhi, India
Baggage: CHECK IN: 15 Kgs (1 piece only), CABIN: 7 Kgs (1 piece only)
2nd Flight: SpiceJet SG - 3758
Departure: 17:00, Wed 08 Feb 2023, Terminal: 1, Jaisalmer, India
Duration: 01 h 25 m
Arrival: 18:20, Wed 08 Feb 2023, Terminal: 1C, New Delhi, India
Baggage: CHECK IN: 15 Kgs (1 piece only), CABIN: 7 Kgs (1 piece only)
For Indian Participants
Travel options for reaching Jaisalmer from different locations in India:
Jaisalmer is connected to the entire country through Air routes, trains, and Buses.
Flight Connection:
Spicejet is the only airline that operates flights to Jaisalmer. The best flight connection is through New Delhi. There are two non-stop flights and the details are as mentioned for International Participants
There are flights operated by Spicejet with small aircrafts like the ATR-72 from Jaipur, Jodhpur and a few other cities but the passenger load being low these flights are often rescheduled for another day. So it is better to avoid these flights.
Train Connection:
Jaisalmer is connected through rail route from various cities. There are direct express trains from places like Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Lalgarh, Delhi, Kathgodam, Howrah, Bandra. Please note that many of these trains were suspended during the pandemic. Some of them have been resumed and we are hopeful that all of them will be resumed before the PSA-PG 2023. It is suggested to check the connectivity from your location using the official website of IRCTC: http://irctc.co.in
Bus Routes:
Regular Bus Services are available from Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Pokaran, Bikaner, Barmer, Beawer, Dechu, Sanchore, Mehsana, Palanpur, Ahmedabad, Surat and several other locations. The most popular Bus Operators in Jaisalmer are: RSRTC, Chouhan Travels, Hanuman Travels, Swagat Travels and more. For Booking Bus Travel visit https://m.redbus.in and more specifically https://www.redbus.in/buses/jaisalmer-bus-tickets also.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
Between: August 15 - December 31, 2022
HURRY! Seats are limited and the registration will close when the seats are full.
PAYMENT METHOD
On registration, you will receive a Unique Registration Number. You have to quote this number at the time of paying the Participation Fee.
A registration fee of $360/ $430 (Rs. 27000/- / Rs. 32250/- for PSA Members / Non Members from India respectively) is payable on net excluding Bank charges.
(Bank charges or any exchange difference will be borne by the participants)
The registration fee (for International Participants) is payable by
Wire Transfer to Bank Account
Step 1: Send an email to [email protected], requesting an invoice.
Step 2: In response to your email, a proforma invoice will be sent. Wire transfer the amount to the bank account details in the proforma invoice.
Step 3: Send the payment reference and the participant details by email
-
Payee Bank charges and Payer Bank charges are approx. $10 varies with country and Bank
The registration fee (for Indian Participants) is payable by Bank Transfer
Step 1: Send an email to [email protected] requesting bank details.
Step 2: Transfer the amount to the bank account details by NEFT or online transfer. No CASH payment is accepted. (Bank Charges to be paid by the participants)
Step 3: Send the payment reference and the participant details by email.
FEES
Fee includes
• Airport / Railway Pickup & Drop
• Welcome Kit
• Transfers & tours by comfortable air-conditioned vehicles on all days of photo meeting
• Lunch at Khichan Bird Sanctuary, packed lunch for 3 days of the Desert Festival, Dinner on Welcome day & Gala Dinner on closing day
• Bottled local Mineral water (2 bottles each day) and snacks (as needed) during the program duration
• Traditional Model hire charges
• Entrance fee wherever applicable
• Tour & travel guidance
• All taxes and services charges currently applicable by the government for the above expenses
Fee do not include
• Travel cost for onward & return journey, to & from Jaisalmer
• Visa charges
• Accommodation charges including breakfast
• Food and snacks are taken personally and Lunch and Dinner on days except what is mentioned above (kept open to participants to taste the food of their own choice)
• Any other personal expenses
• Tips
CONTACT
CORE TEAM
Agatha Anne Bunanta
International Relationship
Vice President
Tirtha
Dasgupta
Membership Director
India
Clement
Carol
Membership Director & Liaison Officer - UAE
Subrata
Bysack
Liaison Officer
India
Arnab Chakraborty
EDAS Review Committee Chair