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-kilometer 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 is also called the camel country, being renowned for the best riding camels in the world. It is also the birthplace of the world famous Bikaneri bhujia and namkeen (a salted snack made of lentils). Being a desertscape, the summers are very hot. The best time to visit this place is in winters when the weather remains

Follow ancient camel tracks to local villages, spectacular forts and delicately chiseled havelis on your Bikaner tourist attraction tours with Rajasthan Holiday. Bikaner tourist attractions mesmerize you with their enigmatic desert glory and historic appeal.

Tour the attractions of the walled city and step into a time warp where life seems to go on as it did centuries ago. Camel drawn carts and cattle are a common sight in rustic Bikaner. The perfect time to enjoy Bikaner tours would be during the months of October to March.

See graceful red sandstone havelis and the stupefying Junagarh Fort that stands proud in the midst of a scrub desert. The Junagarh Fort is an imposing complex of intricately chiseled kiosks, jali work, pavilions, carved archways, courtyards, gold leaf work, mirror and glass inlays and all that represents the glory of grandiose Rajputana.

Tour the Camel Breeding Farm and watch baby camels playing with the majestic Thar forming a spectacular backdrop. See the splendid Gajner Palace on your tours to Bikaner tourist attractions.

Visit the famous Karni Mata Temple, located at a distance of 30 kilometers from the main Bikaner city on your tours to Bikaner tourist attractions. Watch pilgrims feeding 20, 000 odd holy rats and enjoy rustic Bikaner with Rajasthan Holiday.

Enjoy the historic appeal of archaeological sites at Kalibangan and Khichan on your tours to Bikaner tourist attractions and luxuriate with royal Bikaner grandeur.

SHOPPING

You Can Advertise Here
Agra is not only a famous tourist destination but is a shoppers paradise too. There are plenty of shopping areas and shopping malls where one can buy the specialities of the place. Agra is famous for the Taj Mahal made out of Marble, the markets are bound to have replica of the Taj in marble being sold as decorative, gift item or as souvenirs. But the all that looks is not marble. There is one stone called Talk. This stone is cheap and looks like marble only difference being that marble is opaque and talk is not. So, while purchasing any marble item make sure that you are buying the original thing.

Agra is also famous for the leather items. Agra is the hub of hand made leather items. Particularly the Agra jail inmates are make these items which are sold to give them a decent earning. The local artisans are also good at making leather chappals (sandals), purses, bags, decorative items and many more such leather product which instantaneously attracts your attention. In the handicraft craft emporiums and shops there are sandal and rose wood items even though there are no rose or sandal wood forest nearby. The shops also have brass decorative pieces and stone carved images. Agra is also famous for carpet weaving and floor coverings, the Zardosi and embroidery work, Stone inlay work and durries.

The main shopping areas include Taj Mahal complex, Kinari Bazaar, Raja Mandi, Sadar Bazaar. the Gangotri at Taj Mahal Complex and the Up Handlooms, UPICA at the Sanjay place are two UP Government emporiums.

CLIMATE
Bikaner has got an extreme desert type of climate with high temperatures during the day and cool to chilly nights. The best season to visit Bikaner is between October and March/April when it’s at its coolest.

GETTING THERE
Bikaner is located in the northern part of Rajasthan and lies 316 kms from Jaipur, 240 km from Jodhpur and330 km from and Jaisalmer. The desert city shares its boundary with Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Nagaur and even Pakistan.

SIGHTSEEING
Junagarh Fort & Museum
The Junagarh Fort, built by Rai Singh between 1588 and 1593, has a 986-metre-long wall with 37 bastions, a moat and two entrances. Situated at a height of above seven hundred feet above sea level, it towers over the city and can be seen from a distance. The fort and its palaces are profusely decorated with magnificent stone carvings. The major buildings within the fort include the Anup Mahal, Diwan-e-Khas, Hawa Mahal, Badal Mahal, Chandra Mahal, Phool Mahal, Rang Mahal, Dungar Mahal, and Ganga Mahal. The Chandra Mahal has remarkable frescoes. Beautiful mirror work adorns the walls of Phool Mahal while golden pen work decorates the Anup Mahal. Several rooms at the fort house an interesting collection of royal vestments, armory (enormous bore guns used from the back of camels), Maharaja Ganga Singh's 56 kilogram suit of armour, sword with ivory and crystal handles and a biplane presented to Ganga Singhji by the British during World War I. There are supposed to be only two models of this plane in the world.

Lalgarh Palace
Built by Maharaja Ganga Singh in memory of his father, the Lalgarh Palace is situated 3 km north of this 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.

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.

Camel Breeding Farm
Just 8 km away from the city, at the govt. run camel breeding farm, you discover a lot about the Ship of the Desert. You learn that the long-haired camel with hair on its ears is the variety, famed for its strength. The light-coloured ones are the ones from Jaisalmer, and are prized for their speed. The dark-coloured camels come from Gujarat and the female camels are prized for their milk-producing capacity.

Deshnoke Temple
Thirty kilometers 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.

Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum
One of the best museums in Rajasthan, the Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum has one of the richest collections of terracotta ware, weapons, miniature paintings school and coins dating back to Harappan civilization and Gupta and Kushan era.

Bikaner Excursion:- Places nearby
Devi Kund
Eight kilometers east of Bikaner lies Devi Kund, the site of a royal crematorium with several ornamented cenotaphs or chhatris built in the memory of the Bika dynasty rulers. The white marble chhatri of Maharaja Surat Singh is very imposing.

Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary
Just 32 kilometers, the Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a variety of wild animals. The adjoining lake that reflects the charming pink sandstone palace and gardens contrasts so effectively with the surrounding scrubland where black back, chital, sambhar, chinkara, nilgai, wild boar, rabbits, partridges, quail, and Indian bustard abound, that you wonder if it/'s real, or a desert mirage. From the paved terrace, you see jungle animals come down to the water for a drink. This lake attracts millions of migratory birds in winter. The Maharajah held house parties for shooting grouse, duck, and wild boar here.

Taj Mahotsav Festival
Held every February, this festival is an attempt to relive Mughal traditions and cultural spirit. Live performances of music and dance.

Janmashthami
Lord Krishna's birthday is celebrated with much fanfare in nearby Mathura and Brindavan towns. The entire region celebrates this festival in special ways which go on for days together.

Holi
The Festival of Colors is celebrated for days together in Braj Bhoomi, and very uniquely from the rest of India. The gopis (women) of Barsana try to hit the men with long bamboo staffs, while the men use shields to protect themselves! A festival of complete joy and spirit, its unusual rituals are worth to be watched. Principal towns to look for are Brindavan, Mathura, Gokul, Govardhan and Barsana.

Tansen Samaroh
Marks the birth of India's most celebrated classical vocalist - Miyan Tansen who was born in Gwalior and was Emperor Akbar's favorite court singer. The festival in Gwalior sees India's most famous classical musicians performing together at Tansen's tomb. An interesting sight is these performers chew the leaves of a tamarind tree by the tomb which is believed to make the voice better.