Original subtitles

(dramatic music)

India's great desert,

(man chanting)

baking heat, desiccating winds,

and near-permanent drought have earned

this unforgiving land another name,

the Region of Death.

(dramatic music)

But this desert is full of life.

It's a hotspot for nature,

home to some of the toughest and rarest creatures on earth.

Millions of people live here, too.

It's the most crowded desert in the world.

Humans and animals have forged

incredible alliances to survive.

This is no ordinary wilderness.

(man chanting)

This is the Thar, the desert of life.

(inspirational music)

(peacock squawks)

(gentle music)

(air whooshing)

(tense music)

The Thar Desert, a land of contrasts.

Temperature soar to over 50 degrees C.

And less than five centimeters of rain falls each year.

It's one of the harshest places on the planet.

Yet somehow, life has existed here for millennia,

and not just typically tough desert characters.

Beyond the dunes, lies a tapestry of landscapes,

woodlands, desert scrub,

salt pans, grassy plains,

dry forests, and even cities.

(dramatic music)

These habitats provide homes

for an incredible array of animals.

(dramatic music)

Humans have flourished here since the Stone Age,

(dramatic music)

tribes with colorful histories,

ancient traditions,

and a spiritual connection with nature.

(people laughing)

The world's most crowded desert is home

to over 80 people per square kilometer,

compared with just 7 in the Sahara.

Together, people and animals have changed the face

of this desolate landscape.

In some places, it's unrecognizable.

(dramatic music)

The cities are man-made oases,

perfect for light-fingered opportunists.

But with so many mouths to feed,

even here, life is tough.

All the desert's inhabitants struggle

to find food and water.

(dramatic music)

Their lives dictated by heat and drought.

Despite the difficulty simply trying to survive,

the Thar is still overcrowded.

And miraculously, this scorched land continues

to support a wealth of life.

Exploring India's great desert reveals its hidden secrets

and the unique spiritual relationships that exist here.

On these sacred sands,

the lives of man and beast are so closely entwined,

but they owe their survival to each other.

(dramatic music)

(air whooshes)

India's desert covers 200,000 square kilometers

across the far northwest of the country.

Taking in the states of northern Gujarat and Rajasthan,

the desert engulfs 10% of India's land mass,

before sweeping north across the border into Pakistan.

(solemn music)

This border country is the empty heart

of an otherwise crowded desert.

It's effectively a giant dust bowl.

(solemn music) (wind whistling)

Billions of sand grains are whipped up

by 100 kilometer-an-hour winds.

They form immense sand dunes, some almost a kilometer high.

Some never stop moving.

Others have stood for thousands of years.

Dune ridges ripple like waves

in a seemingly endless sea of sand.

(solemn music)

(air whooshes)

With no shade or water,

few animals make their home on these shifting sands.

(camel grunts)

This is a land of nomads.

Many of the region's tribes move through the desert

in a constant search for water

and grazing for their livestock.

And every spring, they travel from the far corners

of the Thar, to a small town at its heart, Nagaur.

(people chattering)

20,000 people gather

for the desert's largest livestock market, the Nagaur Fair.

They come to celebrate their traditional way of life

and their ancient alliance with nature.

(people speak in foreign language)

These people are farmers.

But with regular droughts,

they can't rely on crops for food or income.

(man speaks in foreign language)

Instead, they owe their survival to domesticated animals.

(people speak in foreign language)

Because of this dependence on animal farming,

the desert is home to 10 times more livestock

than anywhere else in India.

(dramatic music)

Camels are central to desert life,

because they can withstand the intense heat

and lack of water that would kill other species.

Owners take great pride in their precious animals.

(owner coughs)

(solemn music)

With painstaking attention to detail,

they're transformed into living works of art.

(solemn music)

The Marwari horse is also highly valued.

Its unique smooth step, the revaal,

enables the rider to travel across sand, in comfort.

(solemn music)

Marwari means from the land of death.

Originally bred for desert warriors,

it's a warhorse of incredible stamina,

that can thrive with little food or water.

Desert people have always shared their lives with animals

and relied on them for survival.

This has created an ingrained tradition

of respect for animals,

fundamental to life all over the Thar.

200 kilometers from Nagaur, on the desert's eastern edge,

is the state's capital, Jaipur.

(energetic music)

It's another world, a man-made oasis,

plumbed into deep water supplies and fed by desert farms.

Jaipur is a desert in disguise.

Approaching three million people,

it's one of the fastest-growing places on the planet.

(engines revving)

But people don't have the city to themselves.

Animals threaten to take over the streets.

The most successful invaders are Jaipur's monkeys.

(lively music)

Alongside humans,

rhesus macaques are the world's most adaptable primates.

The urban jungle is full of opportunities.

There's great food and plenty to drink.

Traditionally, macaques live in forests.

But as Jaipur has expanded into their natural home,

they've adapted to city life.

40 street gangs now terrorize the neighborhood.

(dramatic music)

(pig grunts)

(cow moos)

(goat bleats)

(cow moos)

(dramatic music)

(monkey squeaks) (pig grunts)

But above Jaipur's hectic streets,

one macaque family occupies a privileged position.

This is the 60-strong temple troop.

Though protected by a male,

it's the alpha female who's in charge.

Female macaques stay together for life

and are the core of the group.

This family thrives because they live

in a temple dedicated to monkeys.

Every year, thousands of pilgrims come here

to worship Hanuman, the monkey god.

According to Hindu religion, Hanuman defeated evil,

and as a result, all monkeys are considered sacred.

(bell rings) (solemn music)

The temple troop is treated like royalty.

Pilgrims show their respect for Hanuman

by feeding the macaques.

This is monkey heaven, where the family can afford

to relax and have fun.

(lighthearted music)

(monkey squeaking) (upbeat music)

Life will get harder in time.

When summer sets in, the city will heat up.

Supplies of food and water will dwindle.

And the troop will have to fight for survival.

(monkeys squeaking)

But spring is a time of plenty.

Pilgrims have enough food to be generous.

(monkeys squeaking)

(man speaks in foreign language)

It's not just monkeys that are sacred here.

90% of India's population is Hindu,

a religion that worships many animal gods.

Hindus believe that humans and animals are one family,

so all creatures should be treated

with respect and kindness.

And in the Thar, that includes a creature much

of the world loves to hate.

300 kilometers northwest

of Jaipur is the isolated town of Deshnoke.

The city is famous for its temple of nightmares.

(eerie music)

It's crawling with rats.

(rats squeaking) (eerie music)

Even today, rats spread bubonic plague, salmonella,

and tuberculosis via infected fleas.

Seen as vermin worldwide,

rats are often killed on sight.

(bell rings)

But here, they are revered.

(people chattering)

Thousands of Hindus flock to the temple

to honor the miracle goddess, Karni Mata.

(bell rings)

The temple's rats are believed to be Karni Mata's children,

reincarnated in a rat's body.

They are known as kabas.

The sight of a kaba brings good luck.

Feeding the rats is an even greater honor.

(people chattering)

Worshipers offer the rats a sweetmeat known as prasad.

(people chattering)

Flour, sugar, and clarified butter are mixed

into huge quantities, in the temple kitchens.

(steam hisses)

(people speak in foreign language)

Visiting the rat temple

is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some.

Others come here, every day.

(man speaks in foreign language)

Devdam is one of the temple elite.

He can trace his family back to the goddess, Karni Mata.

He believes that when he dies,

he will return here, reborn as a rat.

Three times a day, he comes to pray to his holy aunt

and share food with his relatives.

(Devdam speaks in foreign language)

20,000 rats live a life of luxury in the temple.

There's never been an outbreak of disease here,

even though people share food with rats,

which is considered the ultimate honor.

Hindus believe people and animals share an eternal journey.

Born as a human in this life,

you may be a rat in the next.

Such reverence isn't reserved for rats.

In another part of the desert,

scavengers get special treatment, too.

(bell rings)

(air whooshing) (dramatic music)

160 kilometers south of Deshnoke's rat temple is a city

known as the gateway to the desert, Jodhpur.

(air whooshes)

(camera clicks)

It's dominated by one

of India's most impressive buildings, Mehrangarh Fort,

also known as Mountain of Birds.

(flag whipping)

Its battlements tower 120 meters above the city.

And they've been occupied for centuries.

(birds chirping)

(man speaks in foreign language)

The fort is a stronghold for birds of prey,

thanks to the people of Jodhpur.

(inspirational music)

In the fabled blue city, raptors have long been protected.

(birds screeching) (inspirational music)

Caring for the black kite population

is a task Latif Qureshi takes to heart.

(inspirational music)

Latif feeds the kites every day,

as his family has done for generations.

It's a great honor.

(black kites screeching) (inspirational music)

Nurtured by the city,

the kites thrive in their desert fortress.

(inspirational music)

They share their home with long-billed vultures

that nest on its battlements.

But India's vultures haven't been so lucky.

Their numbers fell by 90%, in recent years,

accidentally poisoned by a drug that is now banned.

Fewer vultures nest here now.

But Jodhpur's fort remains a vital breeding ground.

Numbers are slowly recovering.

Vultures rise on thermals

and soar effortlessly above the blue city.

(man chanting)

The streets below are crowded with working animals.

Cows are sacred to Hindus

and cannot be eaten when they die.

Instead, they must be respectfully disposed of.

Every day, carcasses are wheeled to the edge of the city

where they're left to the scavengers.

Birds of prey are invaluable to society.

(vultures squawking)

The vultures are fed.

In return, they clean up the city,

helping ensure disease doesn't get a grip.

Mehrangarh Fort isn't only a haven for birds.

It's a sanctuary for another of India's most sacred animals.

(monkey screeching)

Revered above all monkeys is the Hanuman langur,

believed to be the living incarnation of the monkey god.

This adaptable primate can survive everywhere,

from steaming jungles to frozen forests.

No other monkey lives in the center of a parched desert.

Langurs know which desert plants are edible

and get most of the moisture they need from solid food.

But they also seize man-made opportunities.

Every morning, the family leave their trees

to take a trip into town.

Incredible acrobats, they gracefully scale the rooftops

on their way to Mehrangarh Fort.

It's usually a good place to get handouts

from generous pilgrims, but today,

there's a very different welcoming committee.

(tense music)

Rogue bachelor males patrol the ramparts.

Without a troop of their own,

they team up to try and steal one.

And they use force.

(monkey growls)

Troop takeovers can be brutal.

(monkeys screeching)

New males never adopt existing youngsters.

If they win, they will kill the infants.

(ominous music)

(monkeys screeching)

Mothers are desperate to save their babies.

(tense music) (monkeys screeching)

The bachelors dwarf the females.

But the sisterhood stands strong.

(monkey screeching)

The alpha female shows incredible bravery.

She risks life and limb to repel the attackers.

(tense music)

It's not their time yet.

The bachelors flee, but they'll be back.

Male takeovers are part and parcel of langur life.

The alpha male is only strong enough

to retain a troop for a few years.

Scarred from previous battles,

his days at the top are numbered.

(monkeys squeaking)

With frequent droughts, food shortages, and fierce fights

between rivals troops desert life is a struggle for langurs.

But thanks to their holy status, help is at hand.

(people speak in foreign language)

Mr. Borana runs a charity dedicated

to caring for Jodhpur's sacred monkeys.

(horns honking)

After their bruising encounter,

the langurs are ready to see a friendly face,

particularly when he's handing out a feast.

(Mr. Borana laughs)

(Mr. Borana speaks in foreign language)

Many of the langurs have known Mr. Borana

since they were born, and they're not shy.

Though bananas aren't the natural food of desert monkeys,

they're the troop's favorite.

The alpha female is wise enough to know

that Mr. Borana is a lifeline for her family.

There's no risk of starvation here,

despite the constant threat of drought.

(Mr. Borana speaks in foreign language)

In this desert community, people take the welfare

of animals into their own hands.

Mr. Borana's devotion

to these monkeys has created a unique bond

between man and his primate cousins.

Langurs thrive because

of their close relationship with humans.

But in the summer, desert life gets tougher for everyone,

even holy monkeys.

Fed year-round, Jodhpur's langurs are the lucky ones.

(air whooshing) (dramatic music)

Their big-city relatives must steal to survive.

(engines revving)

Jaipur is hot and hectic, with millions to feed.

Summer drought cuts supplies to the city.

With less food to feed their families,

the pilgrims' handouts at the monkey temple dry up.

But there's still plenty to eat, downtown.

The temple troop is on a mission to find food.

But in the blistering heat,

the youngsters take time out to cool down.

(upbeat music)

The rest of the family is anxious to move on.

They've got a date with Jaipur's central market.

(suspenseful music)

For the hungry troop,

this is a banquet too tempting to resist.

The family moves into position.

(suspenseful music)

From their rooftop vantage point, they plan their strategy.

(people chattering)

It's a slick, carefully coordinated operation.

(tense music)

The thieves move with stealth and speed.

(monkeys squeaking)

It's daylight robbery.

(solemn music)

(dramatic music) (people yelling)

Hindus may worship monkeys,

but their patience is pushed to the limit,

during the long, hot summer.

The city's brazen macaques become a serious nuisance.

(monkey squeaking)

But the people of Jaipur have a secret weapon,

(dramatic music) (engine rattling)

Dhanna Lal, the monkey catcher.

(solemn music)

Dhanna is employed to rid the city of problem monkeys.

(solemn music)

He knows where the troublemakers hide,

and he's one step ahead.

Macaques might be clever,

but it's hard to outsmart the monkey catcher.

Dhanna Lal takes the problem macaques on the return journey,

150 kilometers outside Jaipur,

to their ancestral home, the Aravalli hills.

India's oldest mountain range forms a natural barrier

to the Thar Desert, running 800 kilometers

on its southeastern edge.

The ancient mountains are a source of many rivers

and home to a rich diversity of life.

Rare creatures, like the sloth bear,

find refuge in these hills.

But to city-bred monkeys,

it's a shock to the system. (engine revving)

Having never experienced life in the wild before,

they have a lot of adjusting to do.

They will have to relearn the survival skills

of their forest ancestors.

Until then, they'll have to make due with a roadside snack.

The Aravalli hills are blessed with water,

but in the baking heat, the forest is tinder-dry.

In the summer, animals crowd the waterholes.

The sambar deer cakes himself in mud,

as a way of keeping cool.

(boar grunting)

Female wild boar feel the heat, too,

especially with the demands of thirsty piglets.

(piglets grunting)

For many animals, it's the breeding season.

Male sambar deer prepare for the rut.

Male peacocks are competing, too,

with beautiful displays.

Females prefer males with big tails.

But fabulous feathers can attract deadly admirers.

(ominous music)

This region is home to India's most iconic predator.

(ominous music)

All forest animals share a common enemy,

and they work together to try and survive.

Many eyes are alert to danger.

(tense music)

The neighbors operate an early warning system.

(peacocks screeches)

One of the langur troop didn't make it to safety.

Down on the ground, a monkey can provide an easy meal.

(monkeys grunting)

The Aravalli forest is home to around 30

of India's remaining 1,500 Bengal tigers.

(birds chirping)

The Thar Desert provides a sanctuary

to many of India's native species.

And it also attracts visitors from much further afield.

(camera clicks)

One migrates thousands of kilometers

from China and Russia to reach the desert.

On its epic journey,

it must scale the world's highest mountains.

The Himalayas stretch for 2,400 kilometers across Asia.

The tallest peak rises almost nine kilometers

above sea level, Everest.

Everest is known in Tibet

as the mountain so high no bird can fly over it.

But one remarkable species has proved otherwise,

(inspirational music)

the demoiselle crane.

(inspirational music)

To escape Asia's bitter winters,

the cranes take on the planet's ultimate mountain challenge.

(inspirational music)

These delicate-looking birds find the strength

to battle freezing winds

and air so thin they're literally starved of oxygen.

(inspirational music)

Flying alongside their parents are juveniles,

only recently fledged.

But their parents can't protect them

from masterful mountain predators.

(ominous music)

(cranes warbling)

Golden eagles work in pairs to hunt down the weak.

(ominous music)

The flock is exhausted, especially the youngsters.

(solemn music)

Identifying a target, the eagles close in,

at over 300 kilometers an hour.

There's little chance of escape.

(dramatic music)

(crane squawks)

(somber music)

This is the most perilous leg of the crane's migration.

It's a miracle they survived their journey.

(camera clicks)

The flocks fly 3,000 kilometers nonstop,

in just seven days, to get here,

the tiny desert town of Kichan.

(cranes squawking)

The townspeople are honored to welcome the survivors

and feed them throughout their six-month stay.

Their generosity is a mark of their respect for the cranes,

and it's justly rewarded.

9,000 cranes flock to Kichan,

one of the largest congregations in the world.

(cranes squawking)

It's a safe, warm place to winter,

and there's enough food to recover from their arduous trip.

In some countries, cranes are shot and face extinction.

But here, they're protected.

The people of Kichan consider it a privilege

to host these incredible migrants.

(cranes squawking)

But it's not just animals that are highly valued

in this desert region.

(solemn music)

There's something else so precious,

people have died protecting it.

It's the ultimate desert survivor, the Khejri tree.

Its nutritious leaves are known as famine food,

lifesavers for animals and people.

During a 40-year famine, people survived on its bark alone.

And it's central to the lives of one unique tribe.

The Bishnoi live according to 29 strict principles

to ensure they don't harm any living thing,

most importantly, trees.

The Bishnoi depend on fires for cooking,

but it's forbidden to cut living wood.

They only ever collect dead branches.

A brutal event in history united the Bishnoi

and the Khejri tree forever,

a tragedy that's never been forgotten.

(elder speaks in foreign language)

Even today, the village elders recount

the story of the 393.

(elder speaks in foreign language)

300 years ago,

the Maharaja of Jodhpur was building his vast fort.

He needed wood and sent loggers to cut the Khejri trees.

(elder speaks in foreign language)

When a brave villager, Amrita Devi, protested,

she paid with her life.

Other villagers tried to protect the trees, too.

But the loggers showed no mercy.

In total, 393 people were martyred.

(elder speaks in foreign language)

It may sound like a myth, but this massacre really happened.

The martyr's legacy is a tradition

of conservation among their descendants.

(bell rings)

The Bishnoi tribe are considered

the world's first ecologists.

Wild animals flock to Bishnoi villages,

because they're cared for like one of the family.

Known as the guardians of the desert,

the Bishnoi protect large areas of pristine habitat,

vital sanctuaries for native wildlife,

like the spiny-tailed lizard.

(playful music)

Often found living near Bishnoi villages,

it's known to eat the beans of the Khejri tree.

(playful music)

Elsewhere, it's hunted for meat and medicine.

Its only predator here is the tawny eagle.

(tense music)

Blackbuck, India's most elegant antelope,

are rare outside Bishnoi land.

Herds of 10,000 once roamed the desert,

but numbers have crashed, due to poaching

and competition with livestock for grazing.

Its spiral antlers may look elegant,

but they're designed for combat.

(energetic music)

Jousting follows well-established rules to minimize injury.

But with weapons as sharp as samurai swords,

fights can be deadly.

(energetic music)

With the males preoccupied,

female blackbuck must be extra vigilant.

(solemn music)

Indian wolves patrol these grasslands.

(ominous music)

Blackbuck are its natural prey.

(ominous music)

But the antelope are one of the world's fastest animals.

Reaching 80 kilometers an hour,

they're no easy catch.

A leaping herd proves too much for a lone wolf.

The Thar is a stronghold for the Indian wolf,

which thrives in undisturbed areas.

The wolves live in tightly-knit family groups,

led by a dominant pair.

Once, they were widespread across the country.

Now, fewer than 3,000 survive.

(cubs squealing)

Sheep make easy prey.

And in some parts of India,

wolves have even hunted human children.

Understandably, this has made them public enemy number one.

But Hindu tribes consider killing wolves taboo.

Though still persecuted by some,

the Indian wolf is now also protected by law.

(cubs barking)

(wolf howls)

The Thar is a home to a surprising number of predators.

Indian foxes,

hyenas,

and the king of them all,

an animal that once rivaled the tiger.

(camera clicks)

At the far southern edge of the desert,

in Gujarat Gir Forest,

lives a predator normally associated with Africa.

This parched forest is at its most dangerous in the summer,

when one of the world's most formidable predators

has youngsters to feed.

Lifesaving water sources become death traps.

(animals grunting)

This is lion country.

Females have cubs during the hottest months of the year

when prey is forced to visit shrinking waterholes,

and it's easier to make a kill.

(suspenseful music)

Indian lions can hunt successfully alone,

using the cover of the trees

to get within striking distance.

(suspenseful music)

(animals grunting)

(dramatic music)

(animals wailing)

Unlike their African cousins,

Indian lions have a thinner mane

and a long line of skin running down their belly.

The Gir Forest is the last stronghold of lions

which once roamed all over Europe, Asia, and India.

After a century of big game hunting,

they were at the brink of extinction.

In 1900, there were just 20 lions left.

Now, there are around 500.

They owe their survival to the Maldhari herdsmen

who gave up their ancestral homelands

to create a lion reserve.

With nothing but thorn fences for protection,

the Maldhari's tolerance for big cats is remarkable.

The Maldharis are Hindus and consider the lion sacred.

They worship the man-lion, Narasimha, a supreme god.

Even though lions are venturing outside the reserve,

the Maldhari continue to tolerate their dangerous neighbor.

When the oppressive summer heat is at its peak,

it's too hot to move.

Temperatures soar to 50 degrees centigrade.

Without a drop of rain, the desert is gripped by drought.

(dramatic music) (horns honking)

The region's capital city, Jaipur,

feels the effects of food and water shortages.

The temple troop is forced downtown,

in search of something to eat.

(somber music)

Venerated monkeys reduced to rummaging

through rubbish for scraps.

(monkeys squeaking)

They're thirsty, too,

but the city taps are padlocked.

(monkeys squeaking)

Water supplies are drying out, even at the temple.

But the resident troop still has one precious pool left.

At this time of year, they're permanently on guard.

Given half a chance,

neighboring troops will steal their prime territory.

(dramatic music)

In macaque society,

you have to defend your home if you want to keep it.

The temple troop has lived here in luxury for generations.

It's the main reason so many have survived.

(invaders growling)

But their rivals are closing in.

They'll do almost anything to claim the temple

and its priceless water supplies.

The temple troop forms a defensive wall.

(invaders growling)

But desperation is a powerful driving force.

The intruders take their chance and attack.

(temple troop screeching) (solemn music)

They break the temple troop's defensive line.

Now anything's possible.

(dramatic music)

(monkey screeches)

It's hard to know who's who,

until the rival's dominant male makes his move.

(tense music)

He attacks the alpha female.

It's a big mistake.

Her family leaps to her defense.

The big male turns tail and flees.

(dramatic music)

His troop follow suit.

Their attack crumbles.

(dramatic music)

The macaques cling on to the temple,

but one female has suffered a terrible loss.

(somber music)

(man chanting)

Caught up in the fighting, her baby has died.

(man chanting)

A solemn mood settles over the whole family.

They know something is wrong.

(man chanting)

It's impossible to know what the mother is thinking,

but she carries her baby around for hours

before finally letting go.

(man chanting)

It's a confusing time for the youngsters.

(monkey cries)

And there'll be more deaths if the rains don't arrive soon.

If they don't get enough food and water,

female macaques are sometimes forced

to abandon their babies.

For now, all they can do is watch and wait.

After 10 months of drought, the baking desert is rock-hard.

(wind whistling)

Suddenly, a change in the air.

The monsoon stirs.

Low pressure sucks moisture-laden air

from the Indian Ocean towards the Himalayas.

As it rises and cools, (thunder crackling)

heavy storm clouds, charged with electricity,

finally release what's longed for.

(thunder roars) (rain pattering)

The monsoon transforms the city.

A year's rain falls in a matter of hours.

(thunder rumbles)

It may be a lifesaver,

but the deluge is a shock to some of Jaipur's residents.

It's the same scene all over the Thar.

(rain pattering)

But the mood is changing.

(energetic music)

The city streets flow like rivers.

Precious water is everywhere.

(energetic music)

This is a time for celebration.

The monsoon is vital to all life here.

(energetic music)

Within days, the desert is transformed.

Soils become fertile.

Crops regrow.

Jaipur is quick to reap the benefits.

Fresh food and water stocks are replenished.

(bell rings)

Pilgrims return to the monkey temple.

And now, they have plenty to share.

(monkey squealing)

The temple troop females will not abandon their babies.

And there are new faces in the crowd.

At last, the family has time to groom

and renew old friendships.

For now, the macaques can relax,

but survival in this harsh desert will always be a struggle.

And with India's population booming,

and global temperatures rising,

life can only get harder.

The spiritual relationships that unite the Thar's human

and animal inhabitants will increasingly shape their future,

in the world's most crowded desert.

(camera clicks) (dramatic music)

The Thar desert,

so harsh yet so full of life,

(birds squawking) (man chanting)

where animals and people have always needed each other,

competition is fierce,

and the fight for survival can be desperate.

(monkeys screeching) (dramatic music)

But on these sacred sands,

a spirit of compassion saves lives.

(dramatic music)

The Thar is home to more creatures

than any other desert in the world,

because its people have a long tradition

of respect for nature.

(man chanting)

(uplifting music)