Bikaner

Junagarh Fort

Introduction:Bikaner is one of the desert districts of Rajasthan located in the north-western part of the state. It is surrounded in the north by districts of Sri Ganganagar, on the west by Jaisalmer and Pakistan, Churu in the east and Nagaur and Jodhpur in the south-east.
 

History: 

Bikaner was founded by the Rathor prince Rao Bikaji in 1488 A.D. Rao Bikaji was most dynamic prince of Rao Jodhaji of Marwar.  The older portion of Bikaner city has a rampart of 15-30 feets high walls having five gates. After Rao Bikaji in 1504 his survivors kept on extending their borders. They were loyal to muslim sultantes who dominated India from 1526 to 1857.

Rai Singh who became the ruler of Bikaner in 1571 was one of the loyal general of Mughal empire Akbar and was named as first Raja of Bikaner. Due to Mughal support the wars between the princely states of Bikaner and Jodhpur occurred at regular intervals during the 18th century. With the expansion of British rule a treaty was introduced in 1818, and an order was passed through out the country by British troops.

However, the non-corporation from the rajput rulers and local thakurs continued till the state was made part of Rajputana in 1883. The strength of state’s military force was its camel corps which played an important role in Boxer Rebellion (1900) and in the Middle East during World War I.

The present Bikaner is one of the major commercial hub for wool, hides, building stone, salt, and grain. Bikaneri woolen shawls, blankets, carpets, and sugar candy are famous, through out the country.  The old part of the city is built by a fort and has numerous buildings of bright red and yellow sandstone. Inside the fort are several forts of different periods, a museum designed in rajput paintings, and a library of Sanskrit and Persian literature. Bikaner is situated in an arid tract of undulating sand hills where the breeding of camels, horses, and sheep is the principal occupation.

The most famous cuisine of Bikaner, which is also known as recognition of Bikaner are Bikaner Rasgullas and Bikaner Bhujia’s and Papad, which are famous for their mouth watering taste.

Tourist Destinations: Some of the worth visiting sites in Bikaner are: Junagarh, Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum, Bhandasar Jain Temple, Laxmi Nath Temple, Lallgarh Palace, Shiv Bari Temple.

Outside Bikaner: Kolayat, Karni Mata Mandir, Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary, Devikund Sagar and Kalibagan etc. Explore More

Shopping in Bikaner

Facts & Figures

Area	30247.90sq. kms
Area under Forests	812.62 sq. kms
Latitude	27.11' to 29.03' N
Longitude	71.54' to 74.22' E
Temperature	Max.: 47 °C, Min.: 0.8 °C
Average Rainfall	20.94 mm
No. of Sub-Divisions	5
No. of Tehsils	8
No. of Villages	889
Total Population	1,673,562
Male	885,722
Female	787,840
Population Density	61 per sq. kms
Literacy Rate	57.54%
STD Code	0151

Connectivity

Air: The nearest airport is at Jaipur (320 Kms)

Rail: The district is connected with Howrah by broad gauge and with Delhi, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Sri Ganganagar, Agra and Bhatinda by metre gauge railway line.

Road: The district is well connected with metalled roads with all nearby towns like Jodhpur, Nagaur, Churu and Sri Ganganagar. The National Highway No.11 connecting Bikaner with Agra also ends in Bikaner itself. There is regular bus service from Bikaner that connects important destinationsof the state.

Distance from Major Cities (in kms.)

• Ahmedabad-945 kms.
• Delhi-615 kms.
• Jaipur-320 kms.
• Mumbai-1,496 kms.

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