BIKANER

If you thrill to the inexorable forces of nature, do not miss Bikaner. This is a true desert country. You must dismiss any picture post card ideas of the desert however, There are few sand dunes here. The Thar desert is hard rocky soil, solid as brick. It is scrub country, not cactus land. Gorse thorn milk weed sprout precariously and the earth is alive with brazen insects and bolder birds.

This is a camel country. They transport grain, pull heavy carts, work on the wells. Water lies sometimes 122 metres below the surface. Wells are important, almost sacred. Built on high plinths, the slender minareted towers on each of the four corners these wells proclaim their existence from afar, like a shout of welcome.

The approach to Bikaner is bleak. The wonder is that men have chosen to live here or have thought it worthwhile to risk their lives to win such a kingdom. Rao Jodha Rathore of Marwar retrieved the fortunes of his clan and founded the city of Jodhpur in 1459. He had five sons of whom Bikaji was the most lively and enterprising who founded the city of Bikaner. Bikaner is situated directly on the ancient world . This gave rise to a curious phenomenon. The fortified city of Bikaner is encircled by imposing battlements and stands on a slight eminence. Its road undulate through colourful bazars and the predominant hue of the buildings in the strong reddish pink of local sandstone. It is the fourth largest city of Rajasthan.

TOURIST PLACES

JUNAGARH

Raja rai Singh (1571-1611), an outstanding General of Mughal Emperor, Akbar, built this imposing fort. It is encircled by a moat and contains palaces made of red sandstone and marble with kiosks and balconies embellishing the structure at intervals. They have impressive mirror work, carvings and paintings.

Suraj pol, or the Sun gate is the main entrance to the fort. Har mandir is the majestic chapel where the royal wedding and births were celebrated.

The palaces worth visiting are Anup mahal, Karan Mahal, Dungar Niwas, Ganga Niwas and Rang Mahal or palace of pleasure. And some of the most beautiful places are Chandra Mahal or the Moon Palace which has exquisite paintings on lime plaster walls; and phool Mahal or the flower palace is more elaborately decorated with inset mirror-work. These palaces were built by Maharaja Gaj Singh (1746-87).The places within, are adorned with gigantic columns, arches and graceful screens. The facade of the monuments visible above the high invincible walls, offer a splendid view of pavilions protruding a row of balconies, kiosks, and towers at intervals from a distance.

LAL GARH PALACE

It was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh to commemorate his father Maharaj Lal Singh. A spellbinding piece of dextrous-carving in red sandstone is marked brilliantly by the intricate filigree work.

There is a marvellous collection of really old photographs and trophies of wildlife, well preserved and exhibited in the banquet hall. Nature too has enhanced the beauty of this monument. The sprawling lawns are dotted with dancing peacocks and blooming bougainvillaea.Part of the palace today has been renovated to serve as a hotel and the remaining is open for visitors.

DESHNOKE KARNI MATA TEMPLE

Situated en route to Jodhpur , the temple is dedicated to Karni Mata -an incarnation of Durga. The temple has fascinating huge silver gates and marble carvings that were donated by Maharaja Ganga Singhji. The most attractive feature of temple are the rodents who scamper freely within the premises and if one touches your feet its considered auspicious. They are regarded sacred and devotees buy prasad (feeding) to offer to them.

CAMEL-BREEDING FARM

Camel constitutes a vital species of the desert ecosystem. It utilizes various adaptive mechanisms that are most suited to desert life. It can survive in hot climate with high solar radiation and sustain on coarse fodder, salty and thorny bushes. Considering the importance of the species in development of arid and semi-arid zones, the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has established National Research Center on Camel (NRCC) at Jorbeer, Bikaner (8 kms). It came into existence on 5th July,1984. Bikaner is the home tract of camel breed Bikaneri that is true representative of single humped Indian camels (Camelus dromedarius). This government-managed farm is unique and largest in Asia. There are hundreds of camels here and the scenario in late afternoon is great when camels come back from grazing. It's here that you can see what an interesting animal the camel is. You can have some thick camel milk while listening to a Raika or Rebari, a camel breeder's tribe telling you about camels and camellore and how they are bred. The gamboling baby-camels make a very enchanting sight.The British army had camel corps drawn from Bikaner during World War I.

The experimental results under progress have indicated that a well built adult camel weighing about 6-7 quintals could haul 18-20 quintals for 4 hrs. covering a distance of 20 km. at an average speed of 5 kph without showing any signs of distress. The slender riding camel can cover up to 100 km in a day at an average speed of 15 kph. Camel milk is very rich in vitamin C. Camel hair are utilized for making animal cover clothing, rough cloth, ropes, blankets, carriage bags, belts, wallets, etc.

Since vegetable matter content of camel hair is between 4-5%, its worthwhile to blend it with polyester, wool, silk waste. The translucent structure of camel hides makes them useful for making items of tourist interests such as lamp shades, toys, drums, containers and other decorative objects. The aim objective of NRCC is directed towards making camel an economically viable proposition for camel-rearers

HOW TO GET THERE

AIR: The nearest airport is Jodhpur 243 km.

RAIL: Bikaner is connected with Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and almost all the major cities of India.

ROAD: Bikaner is connected by road with the major cities of India. Some important distances are :

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