An Introduction

In Bikaner you will get to see numerous royal buildings and complexes and local folklore dressed in colorful dresses speaking Rajasthani language. The ship of desert ‘camels’ are found here in abundance and you can also enjoy camel safaris in this city. The markets of Bikaner are full of handcrafted items and other Rajasthani crafts items and the city is popular for the salted snack it produces in abundance called the ‘Bikaneri Bhujiya’.

History of Bikaner

Earlier known as Jangladesh, the city of Bikaner is known to derive its name post independence from its founder Raja Rao Bikaji who founded this city in 1486. Rao Bikaji ruled Bikaner but during the Mughal rule Raja Rao Bikaji accepted the suzerainty of the Mughal and therefore he held a high rank in the court of Akbar. Bikaner city flourished with the completion of the Ganga canal and the Indira Gandhi canal, which facilitated the progress and development of the Bikaner city.

Tourist Attractions in Bikaner

The city of Bikaner is decked with multiple forts and Mahals. Most of the architecture is built from red and yellow sandstones. The major tourist attractions in Bikaner are as follows-

Junagarh Fort

The fort in its earlier days was known as Chintamani Durg and was renamed to the Junagarh fort meaning old fort in the late 20^th century. The fort has many rooms which were built in different styles of architecture owing to the time they were built. The fort has red sandstone and marble structures which are built in Rajput, Gujarati, Mughal and Semi-Western architectural styles.

Laxmi Niwas Palace

The amazing Indo-Saracenic architecture was the residence of Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner. The palace has collections of imported furniture and show pieces used as decorations making it a very expensive palace.

Karni Mata Temple

This temple is also known as the ‘Rat Temple’. The specialty of this temple is that you can see a large number of rats roaming around freely and people familiarizing and feeding them. The rats are believed to be blessed by the goddess and there have been no cases of plaque or any other disease caused by the rats in the area ever.

Languages Spoken in Bikaner

The languages that are used by the locals are Hindi, English and Marwari language.

Famous Festivals in Bikaner

The most celebrated festivals in Bikaner are Akha Teej, Gangaur festival, Camel Festival and the Karni Mata Fair.

Cuisines of Bikaner

Dal Baati Choorma, Pakodi, Besan Gatte ki Sabji, Khata, namkeen and Bhujiya are some delicious Bikaneri tastes and Rabri, Ghevar, Feni and Rasgulle are some famous Bikaneri sweets.

Climate in Bikaner

Bikaner experiences a hot semi arid climate and is very hot during the summers. The best time to visit is from the months of October to February.