Travelogue on Bikaner – A glimpse Of Royalty
Along with its good location along the old caravan road which connected central Asia and northern India with the ports of Gujarat and Delhi, Bikaner has always been an important part of Rajasthan holidays. Bikaner owes its current name to the conqueror Bika, who took the desert city in 1489. For four centuries it was the centre of the kingdom ruled by the Rajput Maharaja. After India’s independence Bikaner found itself on the edge of India because of country’s partition into India and Pakistan. It thus lost its function. Today the town is far away from the important transport routes and gives rather sleepy impression. The old town and the palace complex, however, still portray an idea of what the once magnificent desert town must have been like.
Tourists attractions in Bikaner
An eminent Rajasthan Tourist place, Bikaner have lot of attractions in and around the city, but among them some of the well known are
*Old Town
Near the station to the west lies the old town of Bikaner, which is still surrounded by wall. In contrast to towns like Jaisalmer and Jaipur visitors can amble through the old town undistributed by street vendors and simply watch the comings and goings of everyday life on the streets. The two Jain temples from the 16th century are particularly interesting.
*Junagarh Fort
In 1587, the Rajput king Raja Rai Singh, an influential military commander of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar, began building this ground level fort, which is protected by a moat and high walls.
Over time Rai Singh successor erected countless structures within the walls, so that visitors can now admire more than 30 palaces, temples and pavilions. Large parts of the palace are open to public. As it is easy to get lost in the rooms, it is advisable to make use of the guides employed by the fort to look around. Particularly impressive are Ganga Niwas Durbar hall with finely chiseled walls and ceilings, Phul
Mahal (flower hall) decorated with mirrors, and Chander Mahal (Moon Hall), painted with hunting scenes. The room interiors clearly show the influence of Mughal architecture. The fort museum has an extensive collection of old Instruments with menacing swords, cannons and huge rifles, which soldiers once used to fire at enemies from the backs of elephants.
Getting Around
On a Rajasthan tours to Bikaner, getting around the city is easy and accessible from nearby Rajasthan destinations. Trains connect to Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, bus to Jaisalmer.
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