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A man of extraordinary vision and character, Maharaja Ganga
Singh of Bikaner was a signatory to the Treaty of Versailles.
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Tucked away in the harsh desert region of western Rajasthan lies
the relatively remote city of Bikaner. But then we always liked to
explore off the beaten track.
Started the day by visiting the unusual Junagarh Fort.
Unusual because, unlike all the major forts of Rajasthan which are
on hilltops, this one was built on the desert plains itself.
 The
palace complex's sumptuously decorated interiors are better
preserved than in almost any other region. Particularly, Anup
Mahal with its ornately lacquered walls in red & gold
and panels of dazzling coloured glass inlay set over the
coronation throne. The marble columns are covered with delicate
paint work, and the entire effect is simply breathtaking.
The fresco of rain clouds in Badal Mahal
brought a smile to our face when the guide explained that since
rains were a rare phenomenon in this desert kingdom, an artist was
specially commissioned to paint it, so that when the rains finally
did come, the children of the royal household would not get
frightened.
From the Junagarh Fort, we saw some beautiful havelis
(mansions) that line the narrow alleys of the walled city. Later,
we went to see the impressive Lallgarh Palace.
Like Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur,
the royal family still lives in a wing of this palace, but the
rest of it has now been converted into a charming hotel, with a
fascinating little museum thrown in.
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Mother's milk is
best for babies.
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In the evening, we went to the National Camel Breeding
Farm and saw the incredible sight of a herd of camels
returning back after grazing, with the spectacular desert sunset
in the background. Set amid rolling sand dunes, this farm was set
up to produce superior strains of camels both for domestic haulage
as well as, even today, for military use.
Interestingly, one of the efforts is to breed camels with
longer, thicker eyelashes to offer greater protection during
sandstorms. I couldn't help wondering that if some genius were
able to come out with a capsule which could do the same on humans,
many of those false eyelash manufacturers would be out of
business!
Although, we did not go, there is a very popular Camel
Safari to Gajner and Kolayat which lets you see the rural
desert life on the way.
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- Half Day excursion to Deshnoke for the
famous Rat Temple of Goddess Karni Mata.
It's probably the only place where rats are revered and you
have to be careful that you do not step on them. We were
told that they are quite harmless, but the very thought of
hundreds of them scurry past you had Sonia jumping up on the
nearest chair!
- Full day/one night trip to Gajner
Palace and Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Full Day Excursion to Kolayat.
- Full day excursion for Nagaur, famous
for its Cattle Fair.
- Trip to Kalibangan Archaelogical site.
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