A son of Jodhpur in the wilderness
Bikaner began as a young prince's challenge to his father. That, at least, is how every Bikaner family tells it.
The family story says Rao Bika was stung by a joke his father made at his expense in open court, and swore to found a city greater than Jodhpur. Whether or not that is true, he did found one.
The wilderness: in the fifteenth century the country north of Marwar was a dry, thinly peopled land called Jangladesh.
The prince: Rao Bika, a son of Rao Jodha, the Rathore chief who had just founded Jodhpur, rode into it with his uncle and a band of followers to carve out a kingdom of his own.
Facts to know
- Founded
- 1488, by Rao Bika
- Dynasty
- Rathore, a branch of Jodhpur's
- Old name of the land
- Jangladesh
- Junagarh built
- 1589 to 1594
- Joined Rajasthan
- 1949
- The city: in 1488 he laid out Bikaner, the town of Bika. In time it became the capital of one of the largest kingdoms in Rajputana.
- Water and trade: Bikaner stood at an oasis on the caravan routes between Central Asia and the ports of Gujarat.
- The merchants: many were Jain and Marwari families who grew rich on that trade and later spread across India.
- The goddess: the ruling family took Karni Mata, the warrior saint of Deshnoke, as their protector, and they honour her still.
- The golden age: it began with Raja Rai Singh, who ruled from 1571 and became one of Akbar's most trusted generals.
- A new fort: with the wealth of his campaigns, Rai Singh's minister Karan Chand built the fort called Chintamani between 1589 and 1594. We now call it Junagarh, and later rulers added palace after palace inside it for three centuries.
- Maharaja Ganga Singh: the most famous modern ruler, reigning from 1887 to 1943.
- The Camel Corps: Ganga Singh raised the Bikaner Camel Corps, which served in the British Empire's wars, and he sat on the Imperial War Cabinet in the First World War.
- The Ganga Canal: completed in the late 1920s, it brought water to the desert and turned parts of the north of the state into farmland.
- Into India: his son Sadul Singh brought the state into India, and it joined Rajasthan in 1949.
- Placing Bikaner: our guide to the Rajput dynasties sets it among its neighbours.
Junagarh, the fort that was never taken
Junagarh is unusual among Rajasthan's great forts: it sits on flat ground, not a hill. It was protected instead by walls, a moat and the desert itself.
Built of: red Dulmera sandstone and marble, once with a deep moat around it.
Never taken by siege: in spite of repeated attacks.
Facts to know
- Begun
- 1589
- Defences
- Walls about 40 ft high, 37 bastions, 7 gates
- Entry gate
- Suraj Pol, the sun gate
- Museum
- Since 1961, run by a royal family trust
- Allow
- Two to three hours, in the morning
- The one-day occupation: Kamran Mirza, a son of the Mughal emperor Babur, held the city for a day in 1534, decades before Junagarh was begun, and it fell on the older citadel. Bikaner people still mention it with a shrug.
- The way in: today you enter through the Suraj Pol, the sun gate, in yellow sandstone.
- Plain outside, dazzling inside: a long red wall opens into courtyards and palaces built by successive rulers, each trying to outdo the last.
- Why the interiors survive: Bikaner was rarely attacked and its rooms were never looted, so many experts rank them among the finest in Rajasthan.
- The museum: established in 1961 and run by a trust of the royal family.
Phool Mahal and Karan Mahal
- Phool Mahal: the flower palace, built by Raja Rai Singh, is the oldest part of the palace, decorated with glass and mirror inlay.
- Karan Mahal: a hall of public audience with stained glass, intricate mirror work and red and gold lacquer. Its pillars and niches glow in the morning light.
Anup Mahal
What it was: once the administrative headquarters of the kingdom.
- What you'll see: the fort's great showpiece, a hall covered in red and gold, with gold leaf worked into the walls and ceilings and a throne at one end.
- The effect: people tend to walk in talking and fall silent.
Chandra Mahal and Badal Mahal
- Chandra Mahal: the moon palace, the most luxurious private chamber, with gold-plated images of the gods and mirrored walls.
- Badal Mahal: the cloud palace, painted with blue clouds and falling rain, a lovely conceit in a city where rain is rare and the rulers dreamed of the monsoon.
Ganga Mahal and the museum
Ganga Mahal: built by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the twentieth century, it holds the collection of armour, palanquins, costumes and royal objects.
- For children: a First World War biplane.
- Har Mandir: the family's private temple to Lakshmi Narayan, still used for royal ceremonies.
Local tip
Be at Junagarh at opening time with a good guide. It is rarely crowded, and the morning light in the painted halls is at its best.
Lalgarh, the red palace
Lalgarh looks as if a Rajput palace and an English country house had agreed to share a sandstone quarry. It is better than that sounds.
Who began it: the regency governing Bikaner, in 1896, while Ganga Singh was still a minor, outside the old city.
The architect: Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, the engineer who also designed Jaipur's Albert Hall.
The name: Lalgarh honours the maharaja's father, Lal Singh.
Facts to know
- Begun
- 1896
- First wing
- 1902
- Completed
- 1926
- Architect
- Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob
- Best hour
- Late afternoon tea on the terrace
- The stone: the red sandstone of the Thar, carved into screens, balconies and pavilions so fine they look like lace.
- Inside: grand drawing rooms and long verandas built for an age of shooting parties, viceroys and polo.
- Why Junagarh is the old fort: when the royal family moved to Lalgarh, the old fort became known as Junagarh, the old fort.
- A divided palace: part is the Laxmi Niwas Palace hotel, part is the Lallgarh Palace hotel run by a family trust, and the west wing holds the Shri Sadul Museum and a vast private library.
- The museum: its photographs and hunting trophies tell the story of Ganga Singh's Bikaner better than any book.
- More detail: our Lalgarh Palace guide.
Local tip
Even if you aren't staying, come for tea on the terrace in the late afternoon, when the stone turns the colour of rose petals.
Karni Mata at Deshnoke
You will hear it before you go in: a soft rustle, everywhere, like wind through dry leaves. Then you see them, thousands of rats, drinking from great bowls of milk.
Where: the temple of Karni Mata stands in the small town of Deshnoke, on the road to Nagaur.
Who she was: a fifteenth-century woman of the Charan community, revered in her lifetime as an incarnation of Durga, and patron goddess of the Bikaner and Jodhpur royal families.
The building: established after her death, it reached its present form under Maharaja Ganga Singh, who gave it a marble facade and solid silver doors.
Facts to know
- Where
- Deshnoke, about 30 km south of Bikaner
- Residents
- Around 20,000 rats, called kabas
- Present form
- Early 20th century, Ganga Singh
- Fairs
- Both Navratris, spring and autumn
- Quietest
- Early morning
- Bring
- Socks, you enter barefoot
- The kabas: around 20,000 rats are fed, protected and worshipped here.
- The legend: when Lakshman, the son of Karni Mata's sister, drowned in the lake at Kolayat, the goddess asked Yama, god of death, to bring him back. Yama refused.
- Her answer: her family would never go to Yama again. They would be reborn as kabas in her temple, then as her family again. To devotees, the rats are relatives.
- White rats: a few are white, believed to be Karni Mata herself and her sons. Seeing one is a great blessing.
- A rat over your foot: considered lucky too, which is just as well, because you must enter barefoot.
- The fairs: twice a year, during the spring and autumn Navratris, pilgrims walk to Deshnoke in their thousands for the Karni Mata Fair. A wonderful sight, and very crowded.
- How to behave: be respectful, move slowly, and never step on or disturb the animals.
- Read more: our journal piece on the Karni Mata rat temple.
The camel country
In Bikaner, camels are not a tourist prop. They pull carts through the old city, carry fodder and appear in the backgrounds of your photographs whether you want them or not.
Camel country for centuries: the Bikaneri camel is one of India's great breeds, tall, strong and able to work for days in the desert heat.
The Camel Corps: Ganga Singh's corps rode them in campaigns across the British Empire, and the tradition lives on in the camel contingent of the Border Security Force.
Facts to know
- Camel research centre
- Founded 1984, under ICAR
- Best hour
- Late afternoon, as herds return
- Breeds you'll see
- Bikaneri, Jaisalmeri, Kachchhi
- Taste
- Camel milk, tea and ice cream
- National Research Centre on Camel: on the city's edge, established in 1984 under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, it studies and breeds India's camels.
- When to go: late afternoon, when hundreds of animals come back from grazing, including the Bikaneri, the Jaisalmeri and the Kachchhi of Gujarat.
- The milk parlour: a small museum and a parlour where you can taste camel milk, camel-milk tea and ice cream.
- Good for: quirky, educational, and children love it.
- Riding: we arrange gentle camel rides and longer camel safaris into the desert around the city, always with owners who care for their animals.
- The herders: read our journal piece on the camels of Rajasthan.
The old city and the Rampuria havelis
Walk into the lanes behind Kote Gate and the city changes colour, from the red of the fort to the deeper red of carved stone mansions, each more extravagant than the last.
Fortunes made elsewhere: Bikaner's merchants made fortunes across India, especially in Kolkata, and spent them at home on havelis, mansions that fill the old walled city.
The Rampuria havelis: facades of red Dulmera sandstone carved with balconies, screens, flowers and figures. The craftsmanship is astonishing.
Inside: some mix Rajput painting with European tiles, chandeliers and stained glass, the taste of families who traded with the British and travelled widely.
Facts to know
- Rampuria havelis
- Late 19th and early 20th century
- Built by
- The Rampuria family, Jain merchants
- Bhandasar temple
- 15th or early 16th century
- Best light
- Late afternoon, on foot
- Getting in: our guides know which families welcome visitors, and some havelis can be visited inside.
- Sleep in one: one Rampuria mansion is now the heritage hotel Bhanwar Niwas.
- How the merchants built: our page on painted havelis covers Bikaner and Shekhawati.
- Bhandasar Jain temple: dedicated to Sumatinatha, the fifth Tirthankara, three storeys of red sandstone with yellow stone carving.
- Inside Bhandasar: walls, pillars and ceilings covered in paintings, mirror work and gold leaf.
- The ghee story: Bikaner people say the merchant Bhanda Shah had about 40,000 kilograms of ghee mixed into the mortar instead of water, and that on hot days the floor still sweats a little.
- The working bazaar: busy and noisy, selling grain, spices, cloth and, everywhere, bhujia.
Local tip
Walk the old city with a guide who grew up in it, and stop wherever something catches your eye. The lanes are a maze, and the best havelis aren't signposted.
Bhujia, rasgulla and papad
Every Indian household knows Bikaneri bhujia. Very few people have eaten it hot from the pan in a Bikaner lane, which is a different thing entirely.
Bikaneri bhujia: a crisp, savoury snack of fine strands of fried moth bean and gram flour dough, spiced with black pepper and more.
Protected: it has a Geographical Indication tag, so only bhujia made in the Bikaner region can carry the name.
Haldiram's: now one of India's biggest snack companies, it began as a small shop in Bikaner in 1937.
Facts to know
- Bikaneri bhujia
- GI-tagged, made from moth bean and gram flour
- Haldiram's
- Began in Bikaner, 1937
- Also famous for
- Rasgullas and papad
- Desert dishes
- Ker sangri, bajra roti, kadhi, dal baati
- Made fresh: in the old city, bhujia comes out of small workshops and is sold by weight in dozens of shops. Taste it fresh and you'll understand the pride.
- Rasgullas: spongy cheese balls in syrup.
- Papad: thin, crisp lentil wafers, often spiced with black pepper.
- Through the day: kachoris for breakfast, and ghevar in season.
- The desert table: the Marwar dishes of ker sangri, bajra roti, kadhi and dal baati.
- Sweets: our Rajasthani sweets guide.
- Royal dining: the palace hotels serve Rajput dishes in grand dining rooms, including laal maas and the game dishes of the old royal hunts, now made with mutton or chicken.
- Private meals: we arrange dinners in haveli courtyards and cooking lessons with Bikaner families.
- The full list: our food of Bikaner guide.
Local tip
Buy bhujia from a busy shop where it is made fresh, and carry it home in a sealed tin.
Gold on camel hide
In a small workshop near the fort, a man paints gold leaf onto a lamp made from camel hide, with a brush so fine it seems to have only one hair.
Usta art: Bikaner's signature craft, named after the Usta family of artists who worked for the Bikaner court.
The technique: raised gold-leaf painting, often on lamps, bottles and boxes made from camel hide, and on walls and ceilings.
- The finest examples: in the palaces of Junagarh.
- Meet the makers: workshops in the city still make pieces by hand, and we take guests to meet artists, not to commission showrooms.
- Carpets and durries: Bikaner is known for hand-knotted carpets and flat-woven durries.
- Shawls: fine wool shawls woven from the wool of desert sheep.
- In the bazaar: leather mojari slippers, bandhani and leheriya textiles, and silver jewellery.
- Fair prices: our shopping guide explains how to recognise good work and pay a fair price.
Where to stay in Bikaner
Bikaner has palace hotels of real character, and none of the crowds of Jaipur or Udaipur.
Laxmi Niwas Palace
Where: part of the Lalgarh complex.
- Character: the grandest stay in Bikaner, with red sandstone carving, grand period rooms and a courtyard made for long evenings.
- Ask for: a room in the old palace wing.
Narendra Bhawan
History: once the home of the last maharaja of Bikaner.
- Character: a stylish boutique hotel with a strong personality and a rooftop pool.
- Who it suits: travellers who like design and a touch of theatre.
Bhanwar Niwas
- What it is: a Rampuria family haveli in the old city.
- Why stay: you sleep inside the carved red stone you came to see, with painted rooms, a courtyard and a sense of the merchant life of old Bikaner.
Beyond the city
- Gajner: about 30 kilometres west, the royal hunting lodge stands beside a lake, with a wildlife sanctuary around it. A lovely, calm place for a night.
- Compare them all: our guide to luxury hotels in Bikaner.
Seasons and festivals in Bikaner
Bikaner has one of the harshest climates in India. Choose the right months and it is glorious.
October to March: sunny, pleasant days and cool, often cold, nights.
December and January: Bikaner has recorded temperatures below freezing in January, so bring a warm layer for mornings and evenings.
Facts to know
- Season
- October to March
- Coldest
- December and January, below freezing recorded
- Extreme heat
- April to June, 49.5°C recorded
- Monsoon
- July to September, modest rain
- Camel Festival
- January
- April to June: extreme heat. The city has recorded 49.5°C.
- July to September: the monsoon brings modest rain and humidity.
- Month by month: our best time to visit Bikaner guide.
Bikaner Camel Festival, January
- What happens: parades, decorated camels, camel dances, races, and competitions for the best-groomed animal and the finest moustache.
- Good for: joyful, colourful and great fun with children.
Karni Mata Fair, Navratri
- When: twice a year, in spring and autumn.
- What: pilgrims walk to Deshnoke for the Navratri fairs at the Karni Mata temple.
Kolayat Fair, Kartik Purnima
When: the full moon of Kartik, in October or November.
- Where: the sacred lake at Kolayat, about 50 kilometres from the city.
- What: pilgrims bathe, and a large fair grows up around the ghats.
Around Bikaner
Bikaner sits at the centre of a wide and little-visited country, full of places that reward a detour.
Devi Kund Sagar
What: the royal cremation ground of the Bikaner rulers, a quiet complex of cenotaphs, or chhatris, beside a tank.
- Where: east of the city.
- When: lovely in the late afternoon.
Gajner and Jorbeer
Gajner: west of the city, its lake and woodland draw birds and antelope.
- Jorbeer: closer in, the carcass dump is, improbably, one of the best places in India to see vultures, including winter migrants, along with steppe eagles.
- Bring: binoculars and a strong stomach.
Mukam and the Bishnoi
- Mukam: in the east of the district, the holiest place of the Bishnoi community, where their founder Guru Jambheshwar's last rites were performed.
- Their faith: our page on the Bishnoi villages explains it.
Shekhawati and Tal Chhapar
- Blackbuck grasslands: at Tal Chhapar.
- A natural route: they lead on from Bikaner towards Jaipur or Delhi.
Getting to Bikaner
Bikaner is further from the main tourist routes than Jodhpur or Jaipur, which is part of its charm, and it is easy to reach.
The desert triangle: Bikaner is one of the three cities of our desert triangle journey, with Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.
From Jodhpur: about four to five hours by road, via Nagaur and Deshnoke, or via Khimsar.
Facts to know
- From Jodhpur
- About four to five hours by road
- From Jaisalmer
- About five to six hours
- From Jaipur
- About five to six hours
- Shekhawati towns
- About three hours
- Airport
- Nal, about 15 km west, few flights
- From Jaisalmer and Jaipur: each about five to six hours.
- From Delhi: overnight and day trains run to Bikaner Junction, and the drive takes most of a day.
- By air: Nal Airport, about 15 kilometres west of the city, has limited domestic flights.
- Onward: the Shekhawati towns are about three hours away, a good route on to Jaipur or Delhi.
- Plan each leg: our guide to road distances and drive times.
Two days in Bikaner, the way we'd spend them
This is the rhythm we use with our own family in Bikaner: the fort in the morning, the lanes in the afternoon and the camels at dusk.
- One or three days instead: our Bikaner itinerary guide.
- More ideas: our list of things to do in Bikaner.
Day one, the fort and the old city
Morning: Junagarh as soon as it opens, for the whole morning.
- Late afternoon: after lunch and a rest, walk the old city to the Rampuria havelis and the Bhandasar temple, with stops for fresh bhujia and chai.
- Evening: dinner at your palace hotel.
Day two, Deshnoke, Lalgarh and the camels
Early: drive to Deshnoke for the Karni Mata temple before the crowds.
- Midday: the Lalgarh museum, then lunch on the terrace.
- Late afternoon: watch the herds come home at the camel research centre.
- Sunset: end the day at Devi Kund Sagar.
What we tell friends before Bikaner
Small things that make a big difference in this desert city.
Junagarh at opening time: it is rarely crowded, but the morning light in the palaces is best.
Socks for Deshnoke: you must be barefoot inside the Karni Mata temple, and you'll be glad of them.
- A local guide for the old city: the lanes are a maze, and the best havelis are not signposted.
- Fresh bhujia: buy from a busy shop where it is made fresh, and carry it home in a sealed tin.
- Temple dress: cover shoulders and knees, and remove leather items before entering the Jain temple.
- A warm layer: from November to February. Desert nights are cold.
- Who will love it: travellers who like history, crafts and food without crowds.
- Who might skip it: with only a week in Rajasthan, it may be one stop too far. With ten days or more, it is a highlight.
