Bikaner: Thar Desert, Palaces and Camel!
Bikaner is often underestimated and not received attention as those of its contemporaries but this city is a land of majestic forts and palaces. Bikaner was founded by Rao Bika in 1488 CE. The city is 330 kilometres in the northwest of the state capital, Jaipur.
There are many interesting places to visit in Bikaner. You will get to see beautiful Bikaner fort, popular temples, wildlife sanctuary and many more! This blog will take you on a trip to Bikaner and will give insight into this majestic city. The first of them being is the magnificent fort The Junagarh Fort. So Junagarh Fort is located amidst the Thar Desert and was built by Raja Rai Singh in 1594.Originally it was called Chintamani. This Bikaner fort is rightly called the unconquered fort. The fort withstood several attacks from various invaders. But no one could ever capture it. The fort witnesses many wars and now stands tall and proud for its royal heritage and victories. Rao Bikaji's Fort also known as ‘Bikaji Ki Tekri’ was built in 1478.This Bikaner fort is right now in ruins. Laxmi Niwas Palace is another palace which is a former residential palace. The ruler of the former state of Bikaner Maharaja Ganga Singh built this. You can imagine the rich heritage of the maharaja that the palace was designed by none other than the famous British architect Samuel Swinton Jacob in 1902.
There are also some of the famous temples in Bikaner called Karni Mata Temple. 30 km from Bikaner, Karni Mata Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Karni Mata at Deshnoke. It is also known as the Temple of Rats.The temple is famous for the twenty five thousand black rats called kabbas that live and are revered in the temple. People flock to the temple to have blessings. Mukam Bishnoi Temple is a holy place of twenty nine rules of followers of Bishnois. Bishnois are well known for their devotion to nature. They worship nature and put their heart and soul in its protection. The soul of guru Jambeshwar lies in Mukam Temple.
Laxminath Temple was built by Maharaja Rao Lunkaran. It is four kilometres away from the famous Junagarh Fort and one of the oldest temples in Bikaner. The temple is devoted to the Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi. The doorway of the temple is known for its silver work. Bhandasar Jain Temple is a prominent Jain Temple known for its beautiful leaf paintings and ornamented mirror work. It was constructed by Bhandasa Oswal in the 15th century. This temple I adorned with beautiful paintings. The temple has mahamandapa, ardhamandapa, garbhagriha, and antarala. In the Bikaner semi-arid area you will find various wild animals. You will get to see birds, animals, mammals and reptiles. You can spot many types of vultures here Egyptian and King Vultures being the popular local variety and Eurasian Griffon being the migratory vultures.
Bikaner is the true essence of Rajasthani culture. Anyone who wants to feel Rajasthan in its true spirit must visit this place. You will find many luxury hotels in Bikaner around various famous places. Also you will get to see desert, the palace, the rich traditional dance, the food all just at one place!