Indian States
Rajasthan
Cities
In Rajasthan
Bikaner
This
city lies on the northern point of the triangle of desert cities.
Bikaner is another royal walled c ity dating back to 1486 AD.
It was, however, a major trade centre as it stood on the ancient
caravan route which linked central Asia and North India with the
Gujarat seaports. While other cities of Rajasthan are rich in
lakes and pleasure pavilions, Bikaner seems quite bare in that
respect. Given its severe climatic conditions, the wealth of its
architectural heritage lies in its forts, palaces and temples.
This
desert town in the north of the state was founded on 1488 by Rao
bika, a descendant of Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur. Like many
others in Rajasthan, the old city is surrounded by a high crenellated
wall and like Jaisalmer, it was once an important staging post
on the great caravan trade routes. Bikaner is now becoming more
and more popular with travellers. Bikaner has a superb fort, camel
safaris and 30 kms to the south is the extraordinary Karni Mata
temple where thousands of holy rats are worshipped.
Shopping
: On the right hand side as you enter the fort is a small
craftshop, ' Abhivyakti ', run by the Urmul Trust. Items sold
here are of high quality and made by people from surrounding villages.
Go to Usta St in the old city to see the making of traditional
usta (camel leather) products.
