For 29-year-old Om Pal the camel is not the ship of the desert. It is his livelihood in the heartland of Uttar Pradesh. So the young man from Usmanpur village in Bulandshahar district keeps two of these useful animals. He hires out one to deliver goods. The other largely stays with him and accompanies him to the weekly haats or village fairs, where camel rides are a popular source of entertainment for children and adults alike.
Photo: Ramesh Sharma