Bikaner

Bikaner is located 330 km northwest of Jaipur in Rajasthan.

The city was founded in 1488 AD by Rao Bika, first son of Maharaja Rao Jodha of the Rathore clan, that founded Jodhpur. Prior to the mid 15th century, the region that is now Bikaner was a barren wilderness called Jangladesh. Though it was in the Thar Desert, Bikaner was considered an oasis on the trade route between Central Asia and the Gujarat coast as it had adequate spring water.
Bika built a fort in 1478 AD, which is now in ruins, and a hundred years later a new fort was built about 1.5 km from the city centre, known as the Junagarh Fort by Rai Singhji, who ruled from 1571 to 1611 AD.
Subsequently other works were carried out within the fort by the consecutive rulers, namely, Karan Mahal palace, Zenana quarter, Diwan-i-Am a.k.a the Anup Mahal, refurbishment of the Chandra Mahal, Badal Mahal, Ganga Mahal.

Junagarh Fort

Image: Flickr/Thomas Hänel

Image: Flickr/Daniel Mennerich

Image: Flickr/S. Le Bozec

Image: Flickr/Michele C

General Maharaja Ganga Singh, who ruled from 1887 to 1943 AD, was the best-known of the Rajasthan princes and was a favourite of the British Viceroys of India, built the Ganga Niwas Palace, which has towers at the entrance patio. This palace was designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, the third of the new palaces built in Bikaner. He named the building Lalgarh Palace in honour of his father and moved his main residence there from Junagarh Fort in 1902 AD. The Royal Family still lives in a suite in Lalgarh Palace, which they have converted into a heritage hotel.

Other places of history in Bikaner are the Laxmi Niwas Palace, a former residential palace built by Maharajah Ganga Singh. It was also designed by the British architect, Samuel Swinton Jacob in the year 1902. The style of architecture is Indo-Saracenic. It is now a luxury Heritage hotel owned by the royal family of Bikaner.

Rao Bikaji’s Fort, built in 1478 AD is now in ruins.

Karni Mata Temple or the Rat Temple of Rajasthan is situated around 30 km away in Deshnoke from the Bikaner on the Jodhpur road. The temple is dedicated to Karni Mata, a famous mystic of her times, believed to be an incarnation of goddess Durga. The locals will be quick to point out that the creatures running around in the temple are not rats, they are kaabe. Kaabe are believed to be reincarnations of humans who had been devotees of Karni Mata, and the brevity of human life did not sufficiently satisfy their devotion.

Image: Flickr/Antoine 49

Bikaner is situated within the Thar Desert.
One of the oldest written manuscript, the Rigveda mentions the River Saraswati. Recent studies show that the river once flowed through present day Thar Deserts of Rajastan and into the Arabian Sea through the Rann of Kutch. There also seems to be evidence that says that the river went dry around 10,000 BC.

Image: Screenshot from Google Earth, June 2019

Wildlife around Bikaner: particularly, Vultures (Egyptian, King, Eurasian Griffon, Cinereous and Himalayan Griffons) and Saw-scaled Viper Snake
A variety of wild animals including various birds, mammals and reptiles are found in Bikaner’s Semi-Arid climate.
Initiatives are being taken to bring back the number of vultures which have dwindled at a staggering rate before. There are around 600 resident vultures at Jorbeer Vulture Sactuary. The region is host to another 1200 migratory vultures. Local varieties include Egyptian and King Vultures. The most common migratory vulture is Eurasian Griffon coming from Spain and Turkey. Other migratory vultures include Cinereous and Himalayan Griffons.

Eurasian Griffon at Jorbeer Vulture Sactuary
Image: Flickr/Paul Jones