Junagarh Fort » Lalgarh Palace » Camel Research & Breeding » Gajner Palace  

Karni Mata Temple » Devi Kund

Bikaner, situated in the northern part of Rajasthan, was founded in 1488 by a descendant of the founder of Jodhpur named Rao Bhikaji. Like Jaisalmer, this town was an important city on the great caravan trade route during the medieval period. The city is surrounded by high fortifications comprising a seven-kilometre long wall which encircles the old city and has five entrances—all constructed in the 18th century.
The city of Bikaner has seen several ups and downs in its eventful history. Its proximity to Delhi made it bear the brunt of Mughal invasions time and again. Legend has it that before embarking on his campaign, Rao Bhikaji sought the blessings of mystic Goddess Karni at Deshnoke. Since then the Karni Mata temple in Deshnoke continued to be patronized by the ruling family. Today hundreds of pilgrims flock the temple everyday to invoke the blessings of the Goddess, who is revered as an incarnation of Goddess Durga.

Bikaner offers several attractions to the tourists besides, of course, the exotic camel safaris. You can visit the majestic forts or go to the Mata Karni temple where rats are considered sacred and worshipped. The camel festival held in the month of January is also an event worth witnessing. Some of the major attractions around the city are Junagarh Fort, Lalgarh Palace, Camel Breeding Farm, Gajner Palace, Deshnoke Temple and Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum.

Excursions around Bikaner :- The excursions around Bikaner, besides giving a glimpse into the region’s culture and history, also provide an insight into the rich flora and fauna. The Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary (32 km from Bikaner) is home to a number of wild species including the nilgai, wild boar, chinkara and flocks of imperial sand grouse that migrate here every winter. Eight kilometres east of Bikaner lies Devi Kund where you can see some ornamented cenotaphs or chhatris.

Built by Maharaja Ganga Singh in memory of his father, the Lalgarh Palace is situated 3 km north of Bikaner city. Designed by Sir Swinton Jacob, the palace is quite imposing with overhanging balconies and delicate latticework. Peacocks and blooming bougainvillea in the garden welcome the visitor to the palace. To promote tourism, the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation has converted a portion of this palace into a hotel.

Camel Research and Breeding Farm :-
Eight kilometres from Bikaner, the government-managed Camel Research and Breeding Farm is only one of its kinds in Asia. The farm carries out breeding and training of camels. 

Gajner Palace :-
The place located on the bank of the lake was the summer resort of the former kings. Today it has been converted into a hotel.

garden and two large tanks at the eastern and western ends. The largest and most impressive structure is Gopal Bhawan inside which, even on a summer’s day, the air is cool and refreshing. Perhaps the most attractive part of the garden complex is the summer pavilion, Keshav Bhawan. On special occasions the 500 fountains around the pavilion used to spout coloured water while fireworks lit up the night sky. Some of these fountains still play during local festivals.

Thirty kilometres south of Bikaner is the village of Deshnoke, where the famous Mata Karni Temple is situated. The 600-year-old temple is dedicated to Karni Mata, an incarnation of Goddess Durga. The temple has huge intricately carved silver gates donated by Maharaja Ganga Singh.
 

The temple plays host to thousands of rats that form the major attraction here. The rats are considered sacred and worshipped accordingly. You have to be very careful while entering the inner sanctum, because it is believed that if you accidentally step on a rat, a gold replica has to be made to compensate for the lost life.