Set your foot in the marvel land of Bikaner , the land of lavish palaces , fabulous forts , magnificent manors , and acres of glistening sand in the state of Rajasthan that will astonish you and offer a unique experience. A quaint desert town with picturesque natural beauty , Bikaner has a rich and vibrant culture. The Junagarh Fort , Lalgarh Palace , Laxmi Niwas Palace , etc. are some of the attractions in Bikaner which transports you to the times of fabled kings of yore. The Jain Temple of Bhandasar , Gajner Temple , Karni Mata Temple , etc. captivates you with the beautiful fusion of red sandstone and marble. A unique attraction in Bikaner is the Camel Research Centre which is the largest in Asia , where you can learn quite a few things about the ‘ship of the desert’. Bejeweled and finely decorated camels are seen in all their splendor during the Bikaner Camel Festival and Fair , held in January. Carpets weaved with camel hair , traditional ornamental stonework (Meenakari) , ethnic paintings , etc. are just a few of the exquisite items unique to Bikaner. Whether it is a thrilling desert safari or a “dessert” to savor on , Bikaner has got it all.history of Bikaner is very exciting to know as per my opinion.

Prior to the mid 15th century , the region that is now Bikaner was a barren wilderness called Jangladesh. Rao Bika established the city of Bikaner in 1488. He was the first son of Maharaja Rao Jodha of the Rathore clan , the founder of Jodhpur" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodhpur">Jodhpur , and conquered the largely arid country in the north of Rajasthan. As the first son of Jodha , he wanted to have his own kingdom , not inheriting Jodhpur from his father or the title of Maharaja. He , therefore , decided to build his own kingdom in what is now the state of Bikaner in the area of Jangladesh. Though it was in the Thar Desert , Bikaner was considered an oasis on the trade route between Central Asia and the Gujarat" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarat">Gujarat coast as it had adequate spring water. Bika's name was attached to the city he built and to the state of Bikaner ("the settlement of Bika") that he established. Bika built a fort in 1478 , which is now in ruins , and a hundred years later a new fort was built about 1.5 km from the city center , known as the Junagarh Fort.

Around a century after Rao Bika founded Bikaner , the state's fortunes flourished under the sixth Raja , Rai Singhji , who ruled from 1571 to 1611. During the Mughal Empire's rule in the country , Raja Rai Singh accepted the suzerainty of the Mughals and held a high rank as an army general at the court of Emperor Akbar and his son the Emperor Jahangir. Rai Singh's successful military exploits , which involved winning half of the Mewar kingdom for the Empire , won him accolades and rewards from the Mughal emperors. He was given the jagirs (lands) of Gujarat and Burhanpur" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burhanpur">Burhanpur. With the large revenue earned from these jagirs , he built the Chintamani Durg (Junagarh fort) on a plain which has an average elevation of 760 feet (230 m). He was an expert in arts and architecture , and the knowledge he acquired during his visits abroad is amply reflected in the numerous monuments he built at the Junagarh fort. Maharaja Karan Singh , who ruled from 1631 to 1639 , under the suzerainty of the Mughals , built the Karan Mahal palace. Later rulers added more floors and decorations to this Mahal. Anup Singh Ji , who ruled from 1669 to 1698 , made substantial additions to the fort complex , with new palaces and the Zenana quarter , a royal dwelling for women and children. He refurbished the Karan Mahal with a Diwan-i-Am (public audience hall) and called it the Anup Mahal. Maharaja Gaj Singh , who ruled from 1746 to 1787 refurbished the Chandra Mahal (the Moon Palace).