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Bikaner was founded by Rao Bika, second son of the
founder of Jodhpur. The city figured importantly on the great
caravan trade routes. A long city wall encircles the old city
while all important buildings, including the fort and the
palaces, are outside the city walls. The Ganga Canal, built
between 1925 and 1927, brought prosperity to this otherwise
arid desert region.
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Junagarh Fort
& Museum
The late 16th century fort was constructed by Raja Rai Singh,
a general in the army of Akbar, the Mughal emperor. It housed
palaces inside and subsequent Maharajas added luxurious suites.
Don't miss the beautiful diwan-e-khas (private audience hall),
Anup Mahal, Badal Mahal, Gaj Mandir and Hawa Mahal. A major
feature of the fort and palaces is the superb quality of stone
carvings.
Several rooms at the fort house an interesting collection
of royal vestments, armory (enormous bore guns used from the
back of camels), Maharaja Ganga Singh's 56 kilogram suit of
armour, sword with ivory and crystal handles and a biplane
presented to Ganga Singhji by the British during World War
I. There are supposed to be only two models of this plane
in the world.
Lallgarh Palace
One of the most impressive palaces constructed during
the last half of the 19th century the Lallgarh Palace defies
the bleak and rugged reality of the harsh Thar Desert around
Bikaner. Lallgarh Palace was the most completely integrated
example of Indo-Saracenic architecture.
Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum
Don't miss the exhibits at this interesting museum. You can
enjoy terra-cotta ware, traditional Rajasthani musical instruments,
a miniature of the Royal Bikaner train, antique carpets and
royal vestments. You can also see the royal decree of Prince
Jehangir advising Rai Singh to immediately proceed to Delhi
as Emperor Akbar is dying.
Camel Breeding Farm
Just 8 km away from the city, at the govt. run camel breeding
farm, you discover a lot about the Ship of the Desert. You
learn that the long-haired camel with hair on its ears is
the Bikaner variety, famed for its strength. The light-coloured
ones are the ones from Jaisalmer, and are prized for their
speed. The dark-coloured camels come from Gujarat and the
female camels are prized for their milk-producing capacity.
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By Road: Bikaner is connected by road with the major cities
of India. Some important distance are: Delhi 470 km, Jaipur
321 km Jaisalmer 333 km, Mandawa 190 kms and Jodhpur 240
kms. Bikaner forms a part of the desert triangle of Bikaner,
Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.
By Air: The nearest airport is Jodhpur 243 km.
By Rail: Bikaner is connected with Delhi, Jaipur and
Jodhpur by daily trains.
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