Bikaner was founded by the Rathore Prince Rao Bhikaji in 1488 AD. He was
the one who transformed a barren piece of land into an impressive city and
named it Bikaner, after his own name.
Situated in the north of the desert state, the city is surrounded with many
sand dunes.. Popularly known as ‘the camel country’, the city is
famous for the best riding camels in the world. Bikaner retains the medieval
beauty that pervades the city's lifestyle.
The wells of Bikaner an indispensable source of water and are major
attractions of the city. These are built on high plinths with slender
minareted towers on each of the four corners and can be noticed even from a
distance.
Tourist Attraction
» Junagarh Fort : Built between 1588 -1593 AD by Raja Rai Singh
, a general in army of Mughal emperor, Akbar. The imposing fort has 986 long
wall with 37 bastions and two entrances. The Suraj Pole or the Sun Gate is
the main entrance to the fort. The palaces within the fort are on the
southern side and make a picturesque ensemble of courtyards, balconies,
kiosks and windows.
» Lalgarh Palace : Designed by Sir Swinton Jacob, this palace
has several grand halls, lounges, cupolas and pavilions. Built by Maharaja
Ganga Singh (1881 AD-1942 AD) in memory of his father Maharaja Lall Singh
between 1902 -1926 is an architectural masterwork in red sandstone
» Laxmi Nath Temple : Constructed during the reign of Rao
Lunkaran boasts of the archeological skills of artists and artisans. Statues
of deities Vishnu and Laxmi stand here
» Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum : This museum has a collection of
terracotta ware, traditional Rajasthani musical instruments, a miniature of
the Royal Bikaner train, antique carpets and royal vestments. The royal
decree of Prince Jehangir advising Rai Singh to immediately proceed to Delhi
‘as Emperor Akbar is dying is also kept.
Excursion
» Camel Breeding Farm : This is a government run camel breeding
farm, 8km from the main city. It has camels from all over Rajasthan. 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. Research and studies
are also conducted to understand the breeding status of the camel
» Devi Kund : Eight kilometres from Bikaner, the place contains
chatris (cenotaphs) of the Bika rulers.
» Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary : The sanctuary shelters wildfowl,
a variety of deer, black bucks and blue bulls is a mere 32 km from the city.
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.
Fairs and Festivals
» The Camel Festival : The festival is held in the month of
January .Competitions related to camels like camel races, milking, dancing,
etc., are also organized. This makes the festival even more interesting.
» Kolayat Festival : This religious festival is held in Kartik
month of the Hindu calender(November) During this festival people prefer to
take dip in the holy water of the Kolayat lake to achieve purity.
» Gangaur Festival : is basically dedicated to Goddess Parvati.
It is an 18-day long spring festival celebrated during the month of April.
