Rajasthan rolling - 7 (Bikaner)
We covered the 333 km route from Jaisalmer to Bikan in over four hours. The roads were beautiful and very easy to navigate! I arrived in Bikaner just in time for lunch in our room at the Bharat Niwas Hotel where we had our reservation.
Shortly after lunch we discover the most important places of Bikaner: the Junagadh Fort and the Temple of Karnimata, also known as the Temple of the Rats.
Junagadh Fort was originally called Chintamani and was renamed Junagadh or 'Old Fort' in the early 20th century when the ruling family moved from the fort's confines to Lalgarh Palace. It's one of the most important
Photo: Nakul Amembal
Forts in Rajasthan that are not built on hills. The modern city of Bikaner was built around the fortress.
The former princely state of Bikaner and its capital Bikaner was founded in 1488 by Rao Bika (1465-1504 AD) with the blessing of the goddess Karni Mata. Back then, this vast desert area was called "the land of the jungle." Prince Bika of the Rathor clan of Rajputs was the heroic son of Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur.
Photo: Nakul Amembal
Rao Bika's success is said to have been predicted by the goddess Karni Mata, whose temple is located at Desnoke, about 30 km from here. There is another interesting anecdote about Karni Mata and Bikaner. In 1937, on the golden jubilee of Maharaja Ganga Singh, he canceled all events and festivals. He said, "I'm hungry in Bikaner and it's not the time to celebrate." The weeks passed and the scorching heat only increased. Encouraged, Maharaja Ganga Singh went to Desnoke Karniji Temple to pray for rain. When all hope was lost and the rulers of the cities gathered, a cloud mysteriously appeared and soon covered the sky, and the heavens opened. He didn't order the celebration until the dry ground got wet.
Photo: Nakul Amembal
The Junagadh palaces in the fort have a large number of rooms, as each king who did not wish to reside in his predecessors' rooms built his own separate rooms.
The museum in the fort is called Junagadh Fort Museum and was founded in 1961 by Maharaja Dr. Karni Singhji established under the control of Maharaja Rai Singhji Trust. The museum exhibits Sanskrit and Persian manuscripts, miniature paintings, jewellery, royal robes, boris (royal orders), portrait galleries, costumes, headgear and god costumes, enamels, l-money, palanquins, howdas and war drums. The museum also displays the armory, which consists of one of the most diverse collections of post-medieval weapons.
After refreshing myself in the cafe in the courtyard of the fortress, I continued to Karni Mata Temple, about 30 km away. I got there in an hour.
Karni Mata (October 2, 1387 – March 23, 1538) was a Hindu sage born into the Charana caste and worshiped by her followers as the incarnation of the goddess Durga. He is the official royal deity.
Photo: Nakul Amembal
Family from Jodhpur and Bikaner. During his lifetime he laid the foundations for two large forts in Rajputana. He led an ascetic life and most of the temples dedicated to him were built during his lifetime. A temple dedicated to him during his lifetime differs from others in that it does not contain an image or statue of him, but rather a footprint symbolizing his visit to the site. The most famous of his temples is Deshnok Temple, built after his mysterious disappearance from his homeland. This temple is famous for rats which are considered sacred and protected in the temple.
Photo: Nakul Amembal
According to local legend, Karni Mata, a 14th-century mystic and embodiment of the Hindu goddess Durga, asked Yama, the god of death, to bring the son of one of his storytellers back to life. Yama refused and Karni Mata reincarnated the dead boy and all storytellers under his protection into mice. Among the thousands of rats in the temple, there were four or five white rats that were considered especially sacred. They are believed to be manifestations of Karni Mata herself and her family and thus seeing them is considered a blessing. We could not
It was now time to stroll around the town of Bikaner and taste its famous delicacies. As recommended by our hotel reception, we shopped at 'Vikaram Chandmal Bhujiawala' and bought several packets of the famous Bikaneri Bhujia which is delicious to have with tea.
In the evening we return to the hotel to prepare our route to Mandawa, the city of Havelis, the next morning.
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