Page 39 - MASALA Magazine Vol.15 Issue 2 | December 2023 - January 2024

Day One: THE CITY

First Stop:

Nothing exemplifies Bikaner’s position on a
crossroads more than the Junagarh Fort, and
this is where you should begin your first day
in Bikaner. One of the few forts in Rajasthan
not built on a cliff, Junagarh has withstood
all attacks apart from a one-day
occupation in 1534. The sturdy
exterior belies the luxury within.

As soon as you walk past the
ticket office, you’re going to
want to stop to take photos
in front of the magnificent,
bifurcated staircase. Take the
shot, but don’t linger too long,
because you will want to take
your time wandering through
the remarkable mahals inside.
Make your way up the narrow
slope to courtyards with marble
fountains lined with intricately-
carved jharokas (protruding
balconies) and jalis (latticed
windows) made from the red
sandstone that gives Bikaner
its nickname.

Off each of the courtyards
are spectacular rooms made
by the many Rajas of Bikaner. If you’re lucky, you may run into the owner,
In Baadal Mahal you will who still resides on the property and is a vast
find Rajasthan’s ubiquitous repository of information on Bikaner’s history, Final Stop:

royal blue cloud motif. The culture, and arts. Last stop for the day is dinner accompanied
sumptuous Karan Mahal Third Stop: by Rajasthani folk music at the courtyard of
sparkles as light shines off the Laxmi Niwas Palace Hotel. Do try the papad
ornate red and gold work on the After lunch, make your way to Bhandasar Jain ki sabzi, another Bikaneri specialty. Laxmi
walls and ceiling. Ingeniously Temple. Built in the late 1400s, legend has it Niwas is located within the Lallgarh Palace
designed mirrors in the Raja’s that instead of water and mortar, the temple complex. Built at the turn of the 20 Century
th
bedroom in Chandra Mahal was built with 40,000kgs of ghee. It is said by Maharaja Ganga Singh, the palace is a
warned the king of any intruders. that on hot days, the ghee still seeps out of the harmonious blend of Rajput, Mughal, and
And finally, the weapons and floors and walls. The paintings and sculptures European styles. The Ganga Golden Jubilee
armor in the Ganga Singh within the temple are exceptionally beautiful Museum is also housed in the Lallgarh Palace.
Hall will remind you that the examples of Matheran and Usta art. If you have the time, visit the museum’s
Rajputs were first and foremost Right next to Bhandasar Jain Temple, is the collection of paintings, weapons, and musical
warriors. Laxminath Hindu Temple. Constructed instruments.

Second Stop: around the same time as Bhandasar, Laxminath
is the first temple built by Bikaner’s royal family. Day Two: THE DESERT
Next, visit the Rampuria Dedicated to Vishnu, the walled temple hums
Havelis. The havelis are the with the energy of worshippers praying and First Stop:

mega mansions of their time, singing devotional songs. Leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind
built by the Rampurias, a
wealthy merchant family. Walk along the No visit to the old city would be complete and begin the next day with an excursion to the
eponymous street, admiring the carved red without sampling the namkeens and sweets Karni Mata temple in Deshnok. The famous
sandstone exteriors of the havelis to finally that Bikaner is famous for. While each person Temple of Rats is the residence of some 20,000
end up at the only haveli that is open to public. you ask will have their own favourite shop, mice, or kaba, that move around freely and
Built in the 1920s, Bhanwar Niwas is now a I recommend Roopji in Bada Bazaar and can be seen feeding on offerings, sitting on the
heritage boutique hotel with 14 whimsical Jaisraj Shivraj in Chaipatti. You can also visit shoulders of devotees, and even eating from
guestrooms that evoke a bygone era. Audio the shops around Kote Gate, where the smell the hands of visitors.
tours of the hotel are available, and I suggest of spices fills the air. Make sure you eat the Keep your eyes peeled for a blessed glimpse of
having the Rajasthani thali for lunch in the crispy spiced bhujia, fried kachoris, delicate a rare white kaba. But watch where you step –
grand, high-ceilinged dining room. saffron feeni and crispy ghewar glazed with if you step on a rat and kill it, you will have to
sugar syrup. donate a silver or gold rat statue to the temple.

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