Bikaner is one of the magical cities of Rajasthan packed with lots of historical jewels. Every corner of the city echoes the history and then be it the ornamental temples or the grandeur of forts. It also flaunts majestic palaces, beautifully surviving the passage of time, and are capable enough of taking you back to the Rajput era. Those keen in art and photography will love Havelis, another distinctive specialty of Bikaner whose vivid red color and intricate carvings cast a spell on visitors.
Relive history with a visit to this glorious fort constructed in 1588 AD by Raja Rai Singh, one of the most trusted generals of Akbar. The grand fort complex houses palaces and temples made of red sandstone and marble. Touch its exquisitely decorated walls that keep their charm intact. Imbibe in its aesthetic assortment of courtyards, balconies, kiosks and windows offering a peek at the lifestyle of Maharajas.
Smacked in the middle of a forest, it is an eponymous palace resting on the edge of a lake. The construction of this exquisite beauty was started by Maharaja Gaj Singh of Bikaner in 1784 and completed by Maharaja Ganga Singh. It used to be their hunting ground and relaxing lodge. However, the palace is now converted into a heritage hotel. You can enter by paying a fee to see the palace enjoy boating in the lake.
If you are looking for a royal experience then a stay in the heritage hotel of this grand place is all you need. Maharaja Ganga Singh constructed it dedicating to his father, Maharaja Lal Singh. It displays marvelous Indo-Saracenic architecture with a blend of Rajputana, Islamic and European architectural features. Shri Sadul Museum is a compelling part of this palace which happens to be the world's fourth-largest private library. Other parts include Lalgarh Palace Hotel, Laxmi Niwas Palace (luxury hotel) and private residence of Bikaner Royal Family.
Another reason to visit Bikaner is to see its awe-inspiring royal mansions called Havelis. Of these, the most attractive is Rampuria group of havelis. Made of dulmera (red) stone, the structures are the quintessence of Haveli, embodying features like jharokhas (casements), entrances, latticed windows, divankhanas and gumaharias or basements. Vivid colors and intricate carvings on the walls make it a sought after place for photographers as well. After the tour, you can also gorge into local delicacies in the popular markets nearby.
Located 30 km from Bikaner, it is a unique temple dedicated to Karni Mata, a Hindu female warrior sage of Charan caste. Unlike other temples, this temple is not famous for its architecture but for its 25,000 kabas (meaning rats) that roam freely in the temple. The white rats are considered sacred and their nibbled food items are considered as Prasad. Visitors bring offerings for the Goddess and the kabas. The daily Mangla-ki-Arti and bhog offerings done by Charan priests is worth waching. Karni Mata fair brings it to life which is held twice a year during Navratri festival.
By Air- The nearest airport is Civil Airport in Jodhpur located 253 km away.
By Rail- Bikaner railway station is the main railhead and is well-connected to all major cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata and Bengaluru.
By Road- Bikaner is linked to the rest of the country by a good network of roads.
MarcoFrance1965
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE !
I just came back from a 12 days Rajasthan tour. It was just myself and my 14 year olde daughter. I found Caper surfing the web and had non suggestion from friends and had never read comments or reviews about it. Totally "blind-choice". I was very lucky. The organization was really excellent. The agent that followed us, Mr. Praveen Juyal did a great job. I decided our itinerary and he punctually gave me suggestions on the best management of my choices. The hotel choice was fine and confirmed expectations. We had tour guides in every site seeing location and they were all extremely professional, very punctual and really kind and polite.
But I must say that what made the trip even better was our driver; Mr. Deshraj.
One of those persons that you really wish you could meet once in your life. Not only an excellent driver but always helpful, respectful and friendly. He explained us many things about Indian life along the journey and sometimes stopped for short breaks in beautiful places on the road that were not even mentioned in the guide books. My only regret is that at the end of the trip I didn't have much money left and I left a tip probably not adeguate for the kind of service but I will definitely send him try to sort this maybe in a next trip. Thank you very much Caper and Deshraj.
Dreamer802943
A Memorable Trip
We recently concluded a 12 day driving tour of New Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan with Caper Travel. It was most enjoyable !! The logistics arrangements were excellent - from tour planning , hotel selection , vehicle condition to driver. Mr Alok handled the planning, and Mr Vikram was our Tempo driver throughout the journey. Mr Vikram was very helpful , accommodating and patient throughout the tour, despite long hours of driving on the roads ( not to mention India traffic}. We would not hesitate to recommend Caper to our fellow travellers who are thinking of visiting India. Thank You Caper !
goochie33, London, United Kingdom
Golden triangle goa and mumbia
Just come back from an amazing 2 week trip to India. First we done the golden triangle which we chose to do the train trip from Delhi to Agra a must you have to do if not just for the experience. All the cities were wonderful but be prepared to see lots of temple one seems to run into another but wow the taj was my highlight along with the Hindu temple in Delhi. The driving the cows the dogs are everywhere are all an experience. Goa was beautiful we stayed at the taj exotica. In mumbia we done a city tour and ended our trip in the taj for afternoon tea another must. It is a exhilarating trip but one I will never forget. From booking with Manika to all the drivers and guides they were always there to meet us from the airport and hotels on time. They really looked after us thank you all.
Aileen M
Wonderful trip
We have just returned from our first trip to India and we must say it was absolutely fascinating. The itinerary was first class and covered everything we could have wished for. On arrival we were met by a very nice rep and driver who took us to our hotel and sorted out the necessary paperwork with us. We had our driver Vishan for our time in the north and he was terrific, kept the vehicle spotless and kept us supplied with water. We then flew to the south of India and met up with our driver Suhdeer who again was very nice and very informative about things as we drove along. The guides we had on all our trips were excellent and again very informative.
The only down side to it all was that in our package we paid for the drivers accommodation, food and allowance only to find out that the drivers don’t receive this money and if they want accommodation they have to pay for it themselves. We ended up paying one of our drivers an amount for the nights that we had him for him to get somewhere to sleep and food as we were concerned that if he slept in his car he wouldn’t be rested enough to take on the next day driving for 4-5 hours.
All in all Caper Travel are excellent in their planning and can’t fault them for that.
Urquiola, New York City, New York
Caper travel
Recently traveled to India on a private guided tour with Caper Travel. Ms. Mumtaz Khan worked with me on arranging my itinerary.
She was always available to answer all my concerns immediately. On my arrival in Delhi I was welcome with warm smile at the airport by a young gentleman name Kapol Joshi . My experience with the company was amazing and I would highly recommend to anyone traveling to India.
I would also like to mention the personal attention I received at Amritsar by Aman Shara and his lovely wife who welcomed me and my son to their home
and soon to open their beautiful hotel.
Any Query? Please write us at info@india-travel-packages.in
