Bikaner City Information

Bikaner lies in the center of the hot Thar Desert, 240 km northeast of Jodhpur. The layout is straightforward outside the old city. The old city is encircled by a seven-km-long city wall with fine entrance gates, constructed in the 18th century.

Bikaner city is best known for its forts and red sandstone construction. Also, worth visiting is the Karni Mata Temple as well as the Camel park which is one of its kind in Asia. The camel festival is also held here which forms a major tourist attraction.

The place is also famous for the jewellery it produces, not to leave aside the handicrafts. In food items too, one cannot miss the famous Bikaneri Bhujiya, which is known for its rich spicy taste. This Royal walled city is a part of the desert tourist triangle and lies on the northern tip of the triangle. It was an important staging post on the great caravan routes. The city was founded in 1486 A.D by the Rathore prince, Rao Bikaji, hence the name Bikaner. Bikaji was son of Rao Jodhaji who had asked his son to establish a kingdom of his own. The helpful Tourist Reception Centre is in the grounds of RTDC Hotel Dhola Maru. It is open daily except Sunday from 10am to 5 pm.

Best Season
It has got extreme desert type of climate with high temperature difference and low rainfall. The best season to visit Bikaner between October and March. Also during any festival period its a real pleasure to visit this city.

Festivals

Camel Festival : In the festival one can see the ship of the desert at their sporting best. The festival is held in January every year.

Karni Mata Fair : Held twice in a year--April/ May and October/ November-- the fair is celebrated on the nineth day of the Navratra. Devotees throng the temple to worship Goddess Durga and her incarnations on this day.

Transportation
Though the unfriendly desert sands surround Bikaner but the city is well connected by trains and roads.
The nearest airport is Jodhpur 240 Km.
The Indian Railways connect Bikaner with cities like Delhi, Calcutta, Agra, Jaipur, Allahabad etc.
The gorgeous 'Palace on wheels' also covers Bikaner in its eight-day tour of Rajasthan.
There are local and interstate bus services for Bikaner.

Places to See

Junagarh Fort
Constructed between 1588 and 1593 by Raja Rai Singh, one of the most trusted and able general in the army of the Mughal emperor, Akbar - the fort has a 986 m long wall with 37 bastions to guard the fort, a moat and two entrances. The Suraj Pol, or Sun Gate, is the main entrance to the fort. Inside the palace, one can find a gathering of 37 palaces, temples and pavilions that exemplify the red marble-stone construction. The palaces have exquisitely carved windows, balconies, towers and kiosks.

The palaces inside are located on the southern side and make a picturesque ensemble of courtyards, balconies, kiosks, towers and windows. A major feature of this fort and its palaces is the superb quality of the stone carving - rivals the best anywhere in the world. Among places of interest are the Chandra Mahal, or Moon Palace, with paintings, mirrors and carved marble panels. The Phool Mahal, or Flower Palace, is also decorated with glass and mirrors.

Karn Mahal
It was built to commemorate a notable victory over the Mughal Aurangzeb.

The Durga Niwas
It is a beautifully painted courtyard while the Ganga Niwas, another large courtyard, has a finely carved red sandstone front. The multi-storied Anup Mahal was the governance chambers for the rulers. The beautifully maintained rooms now display the treasures of the Royal family.

Other Palaces
The Hawa Mahal, Rang Mahal, Bijai Mahal, Badal Mahal and Anup Mahal. The contents include the usual Rajput weapon collection, not to mention an old WWI biplane presented to Ganga Singh by the British.

Har Mandir
It is the royal temple, dedicated to Lord Siva.

The Fort Museum
It has an extensive collection of illuminated manuscripts, jewellery, jars and carpets, arms and weapons, treaties, decorations and the 'Farmans'. The fort is open is open from 10 am to 4.30 pm and is closed on Fridays. Entry is Rs 50 and there’s a Rs 25 camera charge, Rs 100 for a video. A guide is included in this price.

Lalgarh Palace
About three km north of the city centre, this red sandstone palace was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh (1881-1942) in memory of his father Maharaja Lal Singh and displays a magnificent blend of Oriental and European style.

It’s a grand building with overhanging balconies and delicate latticework. Its terraced lawns and the Bougainvillea bushes add beauty to the palace. Peacocks stroll around the palace which has been partly converted into a hotel. The palace museum, Shri Sadul Museum covers the entire first floor of the palace. It has an assortment of exhibits, including personal possessions of former Bikaner rulers, old photos depicting royal hunts, and an extraordinary collection of the former maharaja’s personal possessions - golf tees, camera, clothes, books, earplugs and even his electric toothbrush.

The library of the palace is supposed to have the largest collection of original Sanskrit manuscripts on parchments, copper and gold or silver plaques. The palace museum also displays well preserved hunting trophies and old photographs.

The museum is open daily except Wednesdays from 10 am to 5 pm; entry is Rs.5. Photography is not allowed.

Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum
This small museum has a large collection of pre-Harappan, Gupta, Kushan pottery. The rich collection of pottery, carpets, paintings, sculpture, terracotta ware, armoury, coins, musical instruments and weapons make this museum one of the best in Rajasthan. The Bikaneri miniatures which are displayed in a separate section for local arts, makes visit to the museum a must. It’s open daily except Friday from 10 am to 4.30 pm and there’s small entry fee.

Other Attractions
The narrow smelly streets of the old city conceal a number of old havelis and a couple of notable Jain temples. The Bhandasar and Sandeshwar temples date from around the 15th century. The temples have colourful wall paintings and some intricate carving.

Excursions

Gajner Wild Life Sanctuary
32 Km on the Jaisalmer road is located the Gajner wild life sanctuary and are inhabited by wildfowl as well as a number of deer and antelope. One can easily spot a Blue Bull, Chinkara, Black Buck or flocks of Sand Grouse and Wild Boar living in the sanctuary. Imperial sand grouse migrate here in winter. Wooded hills and lakes surround the lush green forest.

Gajner Palace Hotel is the erstwhile royal summer palace and is ideally situated on the banks of a lake. It’s an impressive building made of red sandstone and is set in serene surroundings. Horse/jeep safaris can also be arranged.

Bhand Sagar Temple
The 16th century Jain temple to the 23rd tirthankar, Parasvanath, is the most important of the complex. Other include the Chintamani Temple of 1505 and the Adinath Temple. There is a fine view of the city wall and surrounding countryside from the park behind the temple.

Devi Kund
8 km east of Bikaner, this is the site of the royal chhatris (cenotaphs) of many of the Bika dynasty rulers. The white marble chhatri of Maharaja surat Singh is among the most imposing.

Camel Breeding Farm
This government-managed camel breeding station, eight km from Bikaner, is probably unique in Asia. There are hundreds of camels here and it's a great sight in late afternoon as the camels come back after grazing. The British army had a camel crops drawn from Bikaner during World War One.

The farm is open Monday to Friday and every second Saturday from 3 to 5 pm. Entry is free and photography is not allowed. Camel rides are reasonably priced and one can find most auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers on the lookout for tourists to take to the camel farm. However, beware and bargain hard to save your money.

Deshnok
Deshnok is 30km from Bikaner along the Jodhpur road and houses the Karni Mata Temple dedicated to Karni Mata, an incarnation of Durga and known for its devotion to rats. The temple has silver doors and marble carvings donated by Maharaja Ganga Singh. Once inside, you fall into the rats domain, hoping that some will scamper over your feet – most auspicious. Little boys sometimes pick them up by their tails and let them perch on your shoulders. Devotees buy prasad to offer to the rats, finishing off anything thay may leave. Keep your eyes peeled for a white rat – it’s considered good fortune if you spot one.

Eating prasad that has been salivated over by these holy rats also brings great fortune, but is not recommended for wimpish western constitutions.

The temple is open from 4 am to 10 pm and there’s a Rs.10 camera charge, Rs.25 for a video.

There are buses every 15 minutes from Bikaner. Taxi drivers don’t seem keen to make this journey. You’ll have to bargain hard for the round trip and this goes a little higher taken into consideration the waiting time at the temple which is around half an hour at bare minimum.

Kalibangan
One of the major excavation sites of the Harappan civilisation, it houses emmence treasure of our past and is of particular interest to archaeology enthusiasts.

Kolaya
54 Kms from Bikaner, it is a picnic spot.

Devi Kund
8 Kms from Bikaner, is this royal crematorium with a number of cenotaphs. The chhatri of Maharaja Surat Singh is most imposing. One cannot miss the spectacular Rajput paintings on the ceilings.

Bhandeshwar & Sandeshwar Temples
Five Kms from the city these temples are the oldest surviving monuments of aesthetic heritage. These were built by two brothers and the temples carry their names. The mirror work and the gold leaf paintings in the temple are noteworthy. The temples are dedicated to 23rd Jain teerthankar, Parasvanathji.