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Bikaner is a city in the northwest of the state
of Rajasthan in western India. The city is the
administrative headquarters of Bikaner District.
It was formerly the capital of the princely
state of Bikaner. The city was founded by Rao
Bika in 1486 and from its small origins it has
developed into the fourth largest city in
Rajasthan. The Ganga Canal completed in 1928 and
the Indira Gandhi Canal completed in 1987 have
allowed the farming of crops such as mustard,
cotton and wheat. Other industries include wool
production and the mining of gypsum, plaster of
Paris and bentonite. |
Bikaner's history
dates back to 1488 AD when a Rajput prince Rao Bika
ji a descendent of the founder of Jodhpur (1459
AD)., Rao Jodha Ji established his kingdom here.
Bika Ji chose a barren land called "Jungladesh" and
shaped it into an impressive city, called Bikaner
after the founder's name. Archeological surveys and
excavations have established beyond doubt that
civilization flourished here even before the Harappa
period. Excavated statues, coins and carvings of
stones and clay stands as testimony to this fact.
Ever since the foundation of Bikaner till its
accession into Indian Union in 1947 A.D. and there
after it's integration in Rajasthan state in
30-3-1949 A.D., Bikaner has played a notable role in
the history of the country. Bikaner state has
produced several able Generals and warriors and
distinguished Rulers and just to name of few Raja
Rai Singh Ji-One of Akbar's most distinguished
Generals. Another famous name is Raja Anup Singh who
ascended the throne in AD 1669 a scholar and
warrior. His period has been described as "the
golden time of Bikaner valor and fame".
In the modern period Bikaner produced the most
outstanding Ruler, namely Maharaja Ganga Singh who
ruled for 56 years. He was a strong and able ruler
who renovated the traditional administration,
modernized the army, separated the judiciary from
the executive, constructed the famous "Gang Canal"
and provided a number of welfare schemes, hospitals.
His son and successor Maharaja Sardul Singh, who
ascended the throne in A.D. 1943, played a
conspicuous role in the merger of the princely
states in the Indian Union. His Nationalistic
outlook shall ever be remembered by the citizens of
Bikaner. His son Dr. Karni Singh made a mark in
Indian politics and in the field of sports. Ever
since 1952 General Elections he had been elected as
member of Parliament continuously for five terms. He
attained international fame in shooting arena. |
Geography
Bikaner is located at _E_ 28.01° N 73.19 ° E[1]. It
has an average elevation of 243 metres (797 feet).
Culture
Bikaner is famous for its "Bikaneri Bhujia" and its
sweets. Bikaneri Bhujia is a spicy snack made from
moth dal, spices and edible oil. Bikaner is also
known for its handicrafts and leather articles, for
its palaces and for having Asia's biggest camel
farm.
The city is also known for its intricately carved
Jharokas. These stone screens are found on the
windows of forts and havellis - traditionally, women
would use the screens to watch the world while
remaining hidden.
The red sandstone for these stone window screens is
supplied by the nearby village of Dulmera.
Bikaner is also a centre for Usta Art. This
centuries old technique is characterised by
miniature paintings and gold embossing. The work is
carried out on ceilings, pillars, walls, marble,
wood, glassware, ivory and - perhaps most beautiful
of all - on pieces of camel hide.
Camel festival: each January the state government
organises a camel festival with camel races, various
cultural events and a fire dance performed by the
Sidh people. |
Aksaye Tritya or "AKKHA TEEJ": the foundation day of
Bikaner. This was the day when Rao Bika laid the
foundation of the new empire. Every year on this day
people from across the social spectrum enjoy
themselves by flying kites or "CHANDA". They also
enjoy a special meal, such as "Khichra and Imlani".
Junagarh Fort
The fort was built by Raja Rai Singh, the sixth
ruler of Bikaner who reigned from 1571 to 1612. Rai
Singh had conquered part of Marwar and had been
granted territory in Gujurat and Burhanpur by the
Mughal emperor Akbar as a reward for his services as
military commander. This, as well as funding from
Jodhpur, enabled him to build the fort. Rai Singh
held high rank in the imperial courts of both Akbar
and his successor, Jehangir. During his imperial
service he travelled extensively, giving him an
appreciation of art and architecture. These ideas
have been incorporated meticulously into the
architectural style of Junagarh Fort. It is one of
the few major forts in Rajasthan not built on a
hilltop.
It has the following buildings within its complex:
Suraj Pol, Karan Mahal, Durga Niwas, Lal Niwas, Anup
Mahal, Chandra Mahal and Phul Mahal, Fort Museum
Lalgarh Palace
The palace was built between 1902 and 1926 according
to Rajput, Mughal and European architectural styles.
The building was commissioned by Maharaja Ganga
Singh (1881 - 1942) in memory of his father Maharaja
Lall Singh and was designed by the British
architect, Sir Swinton Jacob. It is coated in red
sandstone and has several grand halls, lounges,
cupolas and pavilions. The building features
magnificent pillars, elaborate fire places, Italian
colonnades and intricate latticework and filigree
work. The palace houses the Shri Sadul Museum as
well as the fourth largest library in the world.
Though the Bikaner Royal Family still live in the
palace, part of the building has been converted into
a hotel.
One of the most impressive palaces constructed
during the last half of the nineteenth century, the
Lallgarh Place defies the bleak and rugged reality
of the harsh Thar Desert around Bikaner. The
renowned architect, Sir Swinton Jacob, was
commissioned for the proposed residence of the young
ruler, Maharaja Ganga Singh. Initially, the palace
was proposed to be finished within a lakh of rupees
and further reductions in cost were suggested to be
made by substituting stucco for carved stone. But
the moment Maharaja Ganga Singh got personally
involved in the building exercise, all cost cutting
was banished. The Palace began in 1896 and by the
time the first quadrant, Laxmi Niwas was completed
in 1902, cost had already zoomed to ten lakh rupees.
The idea of using cheap stucco was replaced with the
finest and most intricate stone carving of all the
modern palaces in India. The princely abode welcomed
Lord Curzon as its first important guest. Maharaja
Ganga Singh named his new residence in honour of his
father, Maharaja Lall Singh.Lallgarh Palace was the
most completely integrated example of Indo-Saracenic
architecture, and as some hold, the most perfectly
realized of Sir Samuel Jacob's creations. The sheer
poetry in sandstone was further extended for the
Maharaja's son, Sadul Singh, and grandson, Karni
Singh.
Laxmi Nath Temple
Laxmi Nath Temple is one of the oldest temples in
Bikaner. The foundation of the city was laid here in
1488 by Rao Bikaji. The temple was erected during
the reign of Rao Lunkaran and was added to by
Maharaja Ganga Singh.
Shiv Bari Temple
Built from red sandstone by Dungar Singh in the late
19th century, the temple is surrounded by a wall
with battlements. It has a four faced black marble
statue of Shiva and a bronze Nandi facing the Shiva
Lingam. There are also two large reservoirs of water
known as bawaris. The temple attracts thousands of
visitors during Shravan (August) especially on
Mondays.
Kolayat
Kolayat is a famous pilgrimage spot with a temple
dedicated to Kapil Muni who, according to his
devotees, sat in meditation near the lake.
Kolayat is a town in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
The town is 51km from Bikaner on the highway to
Jaisalmer.
Kolayat is an historical centre of pilgrimage where
the Vedic sage, Kapil Muni is believed to have shed
his body under a Peepul tree. Kolayat has a series
of marble temples, sandstone pavilions and 32 ghats
- bathing places - built around a large artificial
lake which never goes dry.
A temple dedicated to Kapil Muni is the venue for an
annual fair held in the month of Kartik (Oct-Nov)
when, on the day of the full moon, thousands of
devotees of the Sankhya philosphy gather to take a
dip in the holy waters of Lake Kapil Sarovar. The
lake is believed to have the power to wash away the
sins of devotees. A livestock fair, mainly for the
trading of camels is part of the festivities. The
town has both road and rail links to Bikaner.
Karni Mata Temple
The shrine of Karni Mata can be found in the town of
Deshnoke 30 km south from Bikaner on the road to
Jodhpur. Karni Mata is worshiped as an incarnation
of Goddess Durga.
Karni Mata temple is a 600-year-old temple at
Deshnoke, Rajasthan, India. Karni Mata is believed
to be the incarnation of Hindu goddess Durga. The
peculiarity of this temple is that thousands of rats
are worshipped here. The temple in its present form
was completed in the early 20th century in late
Mughal style by Maharaja Ganga Singh.
This temple is dedicated to Karni Mata. There is a
legend that she prophesied the victory of Rao Bika.
The rats are seen as holy, owing to the belief that
the souls of the followers of Karni Mata are in
these rats and thus they must be looked after. The
huge silver gates to the temple, and the marble
carvings were a donation of Maharaja Ganga Singh.
Throughout the year pilgrims from anywhere come to
pay religious tribute to Karni Mata. Outside
Rajasthan she is respected and loved in areas like
Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana. During Navratri
thousands come to the temple on foot. |
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Rajasthan info tour guide" offers Rajasthan city Tour Travel Guide, Rajasthan cities Travel Guide, Rajasthan city Tourism Information Guide, Rajasthan info tour guide, Tour Guide in Rajasthan, Rajasthan Tourism Information Guide, Rajasthan State Information, Tour Guide in Rajasthan. |
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