Bikaner at a glance

Situated in the middle of Thar desert, Bikaner is a city of forts and palaces. It is also known for its sweets and snacks. The city was established in the year 1488 AD by Rao Bika Ji, a Rajput prince. A weekend trip to this city will prove worthwhile owing to the cultural heritage of the city.

Things to do in Bikaner

Bhandasar Jain Temple

Bhandasar Jain Temple is one of the 27 beautiful Jain temples located in Bikaner. This temple is dedicated to the fifth Tirthankara, Sumatinath and it is also considered to be the most beautiful and the highest temple.

Camel festival

A two day event organized every year in the month of January, the Camel festival has some spectacular and unusual camel performances like camel races, camel dances, and the bumpy, neck shaking camel rides take place at this event. This event attracts a lot of tourists from across India and truly adds a shine to the place.

Desert Safari

The ships of desert, Camels, enable us to discover some of the beautiful and relatively unexplored regions of Bikaner. You can witness the vibrancy of colors, jubilant music, men with colorful turbans and massive moustaches and an evening full of dance and music.

Devi Kund

Located around 8km from Bikaner, Devi Kund consists of royal cenotaphs or chhatris of brave rulers of Bika dynasty. This royal crematorium houses several cenotaphs. A large collection of beautiful Rajput paintings are exhibited here.

Gajner Palace

Located on the shores of Lake Gajner and in proximity to the Gajner wildlife sanctuary, this Grand Heritage property is spread over a massive 6000 acres. Built in red sandstone, Gajner Palace is listed in Heritage Hotels in India.

Junagarh Fort

For a change, this is one of the few forts which is not built on a hill. This fort, built in the arid region of the Thar Desert, is famous for its marvelous architecture, intricate carvings which leave viewers mesmerized.

Karni Mata Temple

Located in Deshnoke, 30 kms from Bikaner, Karni mata temple is the place where devotees and rats share a special bond. The temple is heavily influenced by mogul architecture and the entire temple is built with beautiful white marble.

Kote Gate

If you are a shopaholic then Kote Gate is full of surprises for you. You can shop for buffed camel hide articles, miniature paintings, Khadi industry articles, as well as wood carvings apart form mouth watering Bhujia and Rosogollahs here.

Lalgarh Palace

This palace was built between 1902 and 1926 for Maharaja of Bikaner. Being greatly influenced by the Britishers at that time, the architecture reflects Rajput, Mughal and European styles. Apart from ornate lattice work on the sandstone, the gardens with dancing peacocks and bougainvillea are the other attractions at theattract visitors to the Lalgarh Palace.

Laxmi Nath temple

Built in 1488 by Rao Bikaji, this is the oldest temple in Bikaner. The temple contains statues of Hindu deities Vishnu and Laxmi and it boasts of the superb archeological skills of artists and artisans.

National Reserch Centre On Camel

Identified as one of the important tourist place of Bikaner, National Research Centre On Camel is open for tourists during afternoon. Tourists can see the camel of different breeds and their behavior. This is a very interesting place to visit and is probably one of a kind.

Rampuriya Haveli

Rajasthan, especially Bikaner, is known for its havelis. Large, magnanimous, extravagant houses complete with intricate details of jharokas and carvings, havelis are no less than palaces. Rampuriya havelis form a cluster, which is grandest among all in the region. The interiors of the havelies boast the opulence of the Rampuriya merchant family that was a connoisseur of art and architecture. Golden paintings and costly artifacts make these havelies all the more priceless.

Shiv Bari Temple

Built of red sand stone, the Shiv Bari Temple is located about 6km from Bikaner. Fortified by a high wall the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple has a beautiful wall panting of Nandi Bull facing the Shiva Lingam.

Station Road

The Station Road market is replete with numerous shops and small time vendors. This market is a fabulous place to acquire embroidered footwear (jootis), local fabrics, leather goods and wood as well as traditional artifacts.

What to Eat in Bikaner : Local Food and Cuisine

Bikaner is often almost identified by its popular bhujjias, Namkeens, Papads and Baris . Make sure you try these while in Bikaner and take some home too. Along with this you can enjoy the other staple Rajasthani snacks such as Samosa, Kachori and many more. Bikaner also offers most of the typis most of the typical Rajasthani preparations such as Dal Bati Choorma, Gatte ki Sabzi, Khata, Pakodi as well as deserts such as Ghevar, Fini, Rabri and more.