The unique Burning Man festival: An expression of art

Have you ever been to a picnic with your family or friends for a fun time under the sun? What all do you take with you? Sheets to sit, snacks to munch on, games to play and much more.  Burning Man festival of the US is pretty much the same. The only difference is that it happens at a much bigger scale in a desert and is a nine-day programme.  

A nine-day festival  
Burning man is an annual nine-day festival at the Black Rock desert in the US state of Nevada. The event starts at the end of their summer in August and follows on to include the Labour Day weekend in September. The whole event is organised by a non-profit organisation called the Burning Man Project.  

A festival of self-expression  
In this festival, people spend time in the desert enjoying around on foot, by bicycle, or a scooter. They cook, drink, sing, dance, make art and celebrate life in general. There are no big pre-booked stage shows or entertainment events for the gathering. Instead, the participants or burners as they are called, are encouraged to perform free of charge for the whole community. Anyone can set up their own creative installations or projects such as theatre performances, concerts, yoga classes, exhibitions, music and DJ sets. There are different activities in different corners that one can enjoy such as wine tasting, massages, zip lining, and tattoos. The festivities end with an enormous bonfire where a huge stuffed puppet is burned. This is where the name Burning Man is derived from.  

The rules of the Burning Man  
You can enjoy as you want as long as you respect the community's rules. Participants have a handbook at their disposal that details the principles and ethical aspects which need to be followed during the festival. There are no stores in the venue except for those that sell ice and coffee. Also, there is no phone service in the area and there are no cell towers operating nearby that can handle such high volumes. The guidelines are quite rigid. Here is a glimpse at some of them:   

• The use of money is forbidden, gifting or donation is the only form of exchange.  
• You have to be self-sufficient and carry your own food, water and even electricity.  
• You have to make sure that you don’t leave any physical trace of your participation in the event before you leave.  

How did it all begin?  
Wondering what inspired such an event? Well, it wasn’t always such a large festival. Burning Man has been a tradition since 1991, but the first event took place in 1986 when just about 30 people got together to celebrate the summer solstice, burning a 3-metre-high stuffed puppet on the beaches of San Francisco. That was the beginning of the gathering of artists from everywhere, equipped with camp gear and everything necessary to beat the high temperatures.