» Bikaner Attractions : Rajasthan Travel, Vacations, Holiday Packages

Gajner Palace Bikaner

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Gajner Palace Bikaner: Gajner Palace of Rajasthan is situated near the city of Bikaner. Built by Maharaja Ganga Singh Ji of Bikaner, the palace sprawls over an area of 6000 hectares. Often described as ‘an incomparable jewel in the Thar desert’, Gajner Palace was built as the summer resort of the Maharajas of Bikaner. Standing on the embankment of a lake, the palace presents a picturesque sight. This red sandstone monument is adorned with exquisitely carved pillars, jharokhas and screens. The wooded area around the palace has been converted into a sanctuary. Chinkaras, Blackbucks, Blue bull (Neelgai) and flocks of imperial sand grouse have found a home in this sanctuary.

The Gajner Palace has now been converted into a heritage hotel. Gajner Palace Heritage Hotel, near Jodhpur, counts amongst the premier hotels of Gajner. All the guest rooms of the Palace Hotel are lake facing and provide an enthralling view of the lake. Balancing modernity with traditions, Gajner Place Hotel of Rajasthan takes you back to the royal bygone era. It is also a bird watcher’s paradise, along with being an ideal place to watch Chinkaras, Blackbucks, Blue bull, etc.

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Shiv Bari Temple : Bikaner

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Shiv Bari Temple (6km): Built by Doongar Singhji in the late 10th century. The temple in surrounding by an embattlement wall. It has beautiful painting and a bronze Nandi facing the Shiva Lingam.

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Lal Garh Palace at Bikaner

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Lal Garh Palace was constructed By Maharaja Ganga Singh in the year 1902. It is built with a unique blend of Rajput, Mughal and European architecture on the outside. The interiors, however, reflect an oriental touch. The palace has beautifully terraced lawns and also houses a museum and a library.The architectural masterpiece in red sand stone, the palace was built in the palace memory of his father Maharaj Lal Singh. The palace has beautiful latticework and blooming bougainvillea and dancing peacock make it a not-to-be missed visual treat. Part of the palace has been converted into a luxury hotel and a museum known as Shri Sadul Museum. The museum covers the entire first floor of the palace and houses well preserved old photographs and trophies of wildlife.

The palace has now been converted into a hotel. Adding to the magnificence of the palace are its terraced lawns the Bougainvillea bushes. If lucky, you may also spot peacocks roaming around the palace. Hotel Lalgarh Palace is reminiscent of the glorious works of architecture in the bygone Maharaja era. All the 38 rooms at the heritage hotel are aesthetically decorated with exquisite Rajasthani paintings and hunting trophies.

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Prachina Museum at Bikaner

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Prachina Museum: Inaugurated in October 2000, the Prachina Museum is an interesting cultural center that was established by an initiative taken by the daughter of Maharaja Narendra Singhji of Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.

The Prachina Museum in Bikaner showcases the long lost courtly traditions and glorious royal ways of the Bikaner royalty in a very realistic manner. Essentially a craft museum, the Prachina Museum shows you ethnic Bikaner in a very special way. The basic idea behind the establishment of the Prachina Museum is to create a platform for local artists to showcase their traditional crafts that have been an integral part of the splendid Bikaner culture.

See royal portraits and costumes worn by the members of the royal family on display at the Prachina Museum in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. Marvel at accessories on display that were used for religious and other ritualistic purposes in the days of the yore. The gallery of costumes at the Prachina Museum showcases the remnants of a glorious era when clothes were designed for individuals with respect to their social status, personal tastes and personality.

Also on display are European wine glasses, cut glass decorative objects, cutlery and crockery used in the regal kitchen. Perfumes and other interesting things that were an integral part of the Bikaner royal household enchant you as you tour the exhibit sections at the Prachina museum in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India.

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Deshnok Karni Mata Temple at Bikaner

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Deshnok’s Karni Mata Temple (30km): The famous 600 year old temple on the Jodhpur road dedicated to Karni Mata, an incarnation of Goddess Durga. The temple has huge intricately carved silver gates, which were donated by Maharaja Ganga Singh The most interesting thing about the temple are the rats who scamper freely within the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. They are regarded as sacred and are fed by priests and devotees owing to the belief that they will be reincarnated as holy men.

It is believed that the Maharaja of Bikaner had a vision in which the goddess asked him to protect the rats and for this reason, there is bronze wiremesh across the temple. Bikaner’s ruler Ganga Singh had the whole temple built in marble. The domes of the temple are made of silver and gold. It is also said that when Karni churned curds using wooden implements the dead, dry wood sprang to life again and became growing vegetation. KarniMata.com says that Karni stuck a dry stick in the ground about a mile west of Deshnok and sprinkled curd on it and it sprang to life and grew into a tall evergreen tree, under which she used to sit; this tree still lives, and at its foot is a statue of Karni and a small shrine called Shri Nehriji, a photo’ of which can be seen at KarniMata.com. Her cult is associated with a benign “green” attitude to nature, and acording to RealBikaner.com Deshnok has its own oran, an island of vegetation set aside by the Bishnoi people of Rajasthan (described as “the first environmentalists") for worship under community protection and management. No trees may be cut in the oran.

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Devi Kund at Bikaner

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Devi Kund (8km): Devi Kund in Bikaner is important as it houses the royal cenotaphs of the mighty rulers who belonged to the Bika dynasty. These cenotaphs are referred to as chattris in the local parlance. The most spectacular chattri at Devi Kund is that of Maharaj Surat Singh. A royal crematorium with several ornamented cenotaphs or “chhatris’ built in the memory of the Bika dynasty rulers. Maharaja Suraj Singh chhatri is the most impressive of all creative entirely in white marble with spectacular Rajput painting on the ceiling. All Devi Kund cenotaphs except the ones belonging to children are pillared canopied structures and the larger and elaborate the cenotaph; more important and significant was the king and his Bikaner reign. One particular tomb of interest is that of Maharaja Surat Singh, built entirely in white marble with spectacular Rajput paintings on the ceiling. One cannot miss the spectacular Rajput paintings on the ceilings.

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Camel Research Farm at Bikaner

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Camel Research Farm (8km): Spend a day with indispensable ship of the desert at their camel research and breeding centre-one of its kind in Asia. Timing 15.00hrs to 17.00hrs (Closed on Sundays and government holidays) Photography prohibited. The farm extends over 2000 acres of semiarid land is managed by the central Government. The camel crops of Bikaner were a famous fighting force during the Raj and are still an important part of the desert warfare and defence through the border security Force (BSF).

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Bhandeshwar and Sandeshwar Temples

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Bhandeshwar and Sandeshwar Temples (5 Km): The narrow smelly streets of the old city conceal a number of old havelis and a couple of notable Jain temples. The Bhandasar and Sandeshwar temples date from the 16th century and are dedicated to the 23rd Tirthankar (great sage), Parasvanath or Parshvanathji. Inside the same complex is the Chintamani Temple of 1505 and the Adinath Temple. The temples have colourful wall paintings and some intricate carvings, and there is a fine view of the city wall and surrounding countryside from the park behind the temples.

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Junagarh Fort ata Bikaner

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Junagarh Fort: Built in 1593 A.D. by Raja Singh, a general in the army of Emperor Akbar, the fort is a formidable structure encircled by a moat and has some beautiful palaces within. These palaces, made in red sandstone and marble, make a picturesque ensemble of courtyards, balconies, Kiosks and windows dotted all over the structure. The main entrance to the fort is Karan Pol [gate], that is east facing. Next to it is the Suraj Pol meaning the sun gate. The fort situates in it some very magnificent palaces like Anup Mahal, Ganga Niwas and Rang Mahal or palace of pleasure. The Har Mandir is the majestic chapel for the royal family for worshipping their gods and goddesses. These palaces, constructed in red sandstone and marble, make a picturesque ensemble of courtyards, balconies, kiosks and windows dotted all over the structure. The premises also houses a museum which is an array of a rich collection .

Junagarh Fort contains 37 palaces and many temples and pavilions. Many of the inner rooms of the palaces are beautifully decorated and painted in traditional style. The walls of the Badal Mahal or Palace of Clouds, are covered with fresco paintings of Krishna and his consort Radha in the midst of rain clouds. The Anup Mahal is a beautiful structure where the inner walls are covered with exquisite lacquer work of red and gold as well as inlay work in glass. Gold leaf has been used to decorate the pillars made of white plaster. The overall effect within the Anup Mahal Palace is very ornate.

Timings
10 AM 4.30 PM
Fee for full Museum Rs 50 per head
Fee for part Museum Rs 10 per head
Fee for ordinary camera Rs 30
Fee for Movie Camera Rs 100

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