Bikaner · Desert West
Junagarh Fort is a formidable fortress in Bikaner, built between 1589 and 1594 AD by Raja Rai Singh, a general in the army of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Unlike most Rajasthan forts, it was constructed on level ground on the edge of the old city rather than on a hill. Its 985-meter-long walls enclose 37 palaces, temples and pavilions, and it houses a noted museum with royal artifacts.
The annual Camel Festival celebrates the 'ship of the desert' with a day of camel races, dances and pageantry in Bikaner. Camels are caparisoned and paraded before the Junagarh Fort and around the Lalgarh Palace grounds. Folk artists perform throughout the festival with the colourfully dressed camels as the centrepiece.
On Kartik Purnima each year, a grand religious fair gathers pilgrims at Kolayat, the sacred lakeside town a short distance from Gajner, on the Kapil Muni river. Devotees take ritual dips in the holy water and offer lamps to the sun god, believing it purifies the soul. The fair is among western Rajasthan's largest pilgrimage gatherings.
In winter the man-made Gajner Lake and surrounding desert forest become a haven for migratory birds, including imperial sandgrouse, demoiselle cranes and other waterfowl. Once a royal hunting ground for the Maharajas of Bikaner, the sanctuary now offers jeep and horse safaris through scrubland rich in blackbuck, chinkara, nilgai and wild boar. Winter mornings present the best conditions for bird-watching and wildlife photography.
PalaceLalgarh Palace is a red-sandstone royal palace in Bikaner, built for Maharaja Ganga Singh and completed in 19…
HaveliThe Rampuria Havelis are a magnificent collection of 18th-century merchant mansions in Bikaner's old city, bu…
WildlifeGajner Sanctuary is a 55 sq km area of dry scrub forest and the historic Gajner Lake, once a royal hunting gr…