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Rao Bika, the second son of the founder of Jodhpur, founded the fortified city of Bikaner. Built in 1488, the city figured importantly on the great caravan trade route that linked North India with Central Asia. A city noteworthy for its red and yellow sandstone forts and palaces, Bikaner is enclosed in a long wall with 5 gates.
In Bikaner
Junagarh Fort & Museum: Raja Rai Singh, a general in the army of Akbar, the Mughal emperor, constructed the 16th century fort and subsequent Maharajas added luxurious suites. Diwan-e-khas (private audience hall), Anup Mahal, Badal Mahal (cloud palace), Gaj Mandir (Elephant temple) and Hawa Mahal (wind palace) are some of the palaces worth checking out. The fort is marked by some exquisite stone carvings. A major feature of the fort and palaces is the superb quality of stone carvings.
Several rooms at the fort house an interesting collection of royal vestments, armoury (enormous bore guns used from the back of camels), Maharaja Ganga Singh’s 56 kg armour, sword with ivory and crystal handles and a biplane presented to Ganga Singhji by the British during World War I. There are supposed to be only two models of this plane in the world. TOP^
Jain Temples: There are two main Jain temples in Bikaner. The 15th century Bhandasar Temple with stunning interiors and vibrant paintings and the Sandeshwar Temple with good carving work.
Lakshminath Temple: Lakshminath was the patron god of the Bikaner rulers. The temple was built in the 16th century and regularly attracted royal processions during major religious festivals.
Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum: Don’t miss the exhibits at this interesting museum. You can enjoy terracotta ware, traditional Rajasthani musical instruments, a miniature of the Royal Bikaner train, antique carpets and royal vestments. You can also see the royal decree of Prince Jehangir advising Rai Singh to immediately proceed to Delhi ‘as Emperor Akbar is dying.’
Around Bikaner
Camel Breeding Farm: Just 8 km away from the city at the government run camel breeding farm, you discover a lot about the Ship of the Desert. You learn that the long -haired camel with hair on its ears is the Bikaner variety, famed for its strength. The light- coloured ones are the ones from Jaisalmer and are prized for their speed. The dark-coloured camels come from Gujarat and the females are prized for their milk-producing capacity.
Dev Kund: Eight kilometres from Bikaner, this is the place which contains chatris (cenotaphs) of the Bika rulers.
Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok: Millions throng the Karni Mata Temple at the village of Deshnok, 30 km south of Bikaner. At this place, holy rodents flourish all over and are fed milk by the devotees. The rats are known as kabas and it is considered extremely auspicious if they oblige by running over your feet. TOP^
Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary: A mere 32 km from Bikaner, the sanctuary shelters wildfowl, a variety of deer, blackbucks and blue bulls. Once upon a time, the Bikaner royalty used to descend upon this thickly wooded and lake surrounded area to hunt the Imperial sand grouse that migrate here in winter.
Shopping
Bikaner is a famous centre for embroidery and appliqué work, painted pottery, carpet weaving and delicately carved wooden doors. Bikaner is also famous for a variety of snacks, especially the Bikaneri bhujia.
Cultural Calendar
Camel Festival (Jan)
Teej (Jul-Aug)
Getting there
By Air: The nearest airport to Bikaner is Jodhpur, 247 km away. Regular airlines fly between Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi.
By Rail: Bikaner is on the metre gauge network of the western Railways. It has convenient connections from Delhi and Jodhpur. Air-conditioned coaches are attached to Delhi trains. TOP^
By Road: Bikaner is well connected by road to the rest of the country. The National Highway No 8 connects Agra to Bikaner via Jaipur while National Highway No 11 runs from Pathankot to Kandla port, via Amritsar and Bhatinda.
Regular bus service operates between Bikaner and major cities like Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Ajmer. Rajasthan Roadways run daily deluxe coaches between Jaipur and Bikaner.
Some important road distances are
Jodhpur - 250 km
Jaisalmer - 320 km
Ajmer - 280 km
Jaipur- 330 km.
General Information
- Best Time :October to March
- Area :38.10 sq. km.
- Altitude :237 metres
- Climate : summer - 41.8 degree C(Max.) 28.0 degree C (Min)
winter - 23.2 degree C (Max.) 5.0 degree C (Min)
- Rainfall : 26-44 cms.
Clothing : summer - light tropical
winter - light woollen
- Languages : Rajasthani, Hindi, English TOP^
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