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Sands of timelessness

Sarvesh

This holiday we wished for something new, something different. And that made Rajasthan a natural choice. Then someone suggested Bikaner. The name itself reminded us of the mouth-watering Bikaneri `bhujia' and `rasgullas'. We had, literally, a foretaste o f things to come.

The sand dunes of Bikaner, the beautiful forts and havelis, festivals, camel carts, palatial heritage hotels, the camel and sheep-breeding research centre -- all present a perfect blend of modernity and tradition.

Bikaner is a fortified city encircled by imposing battlements. We began exploring this colourful city starting from the glorious fort of Junagarh. The guide informed us that the fort was built in 1593 A.D. by Raja Rai Singh, a general in Akbar's army. Th e fort -- which encloses 37 palaces, temples and pavilions -- is encircled by a moat.

The fort has several gateways such as `Suraj Pol', which is the main gate, `Karan Pol', `Daulat Pol', `Fateh Pol', `Ratan Pol' and `Dhruv Pol'. The intricate carvings on the gateways and the huge statues of warriors on elephants are highly impressive. Th e fort also encompasses beautiful palaces such as Chandra Mahal or Moon Palace, Phool Mahal or Flower Palace, Anup Mahal, Karan Mahal, Dungar Niwas, Ganga Niwas, Gaj Mandir and Rang Mahal -- all built out of red sandstone and marble. The Junagarh fort is considered one of the best in India for its architectural beauty.

From Junagarh Fort, we went to Lalgarh Palace on the Jodhpur road, about 3 km from Bikaner. Like the Junagarh fort, the 600-year-old palace is famous for its exemplary architecture. The sprawling lawns with blooming bougainvillaea and dancing peacocks ar e a visual treat. A part of the palace has been converted into a luxury hotel. The Shri Sadul Museum is also housed in the palace-complex.

Our next halt was the Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum, considered one of Rajasthan's best museums with its collection of terracotta-ware, weapons, miniature paintings of Bikaner and coins. Some of the exhibits date back to the Harappan civilisation. Sculptur es and other masterpieces from the Gupta and Kushan era are also displayed.

While in Bikaner, visitors can make short trips to several interesting places nearby which are replete with the exuberant folk dances and music, ballads and spectacular festivities characteristic of Rajasthan.

We started with the Bhandasar Jain Temple, 5 km away. The 16th-century temple is dedicated to the 23rd Tirthankara, Parsavanathji. The temple's major attractions are the beautiful pillars and ceiling paintings.

The Camel Research and Breeding Centre, 8 km from Bikaner, is one of its kind in Asia and managed by the Central Government. The camel corps of Bikaner were a famous fighting force during the `British Raj' and are still an important part of desert warfar e and defence.

On the following day, we went to the famous Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary, 32 km away, on the Jaisalmer road. Home to the neelgai, chinkara, black buck, wild boar and flocks of imperial sand grouse, the forest contains the Gajner Palace, once a royal summer retreat and now a hotel.

Deshnok's Karni Mata Temple is about 30 km from Bikaner. We found rats scampering freely inside the sanctum sanctorum. Considered sacred, the rats are fed by the priests and devotees in the belief that they will be reincarnated as holymen.

For those interested in archaeology, Kalibangan, 205 km from Bikaner, has extensive remains of pre-Harappan and Harappan civilisations.

We could not be part of the annual fair held at the Kapil Muni temple on the banks of Kolayat lake, 50 km from Bikaner, where thousands of devotees bathe in the lake on a full moon day during October-November.

But we were lucky to be part of the famous Camel Festival of Bikaner organised every year by the Rajasthan State Tourism Department. The event is primarily meant to promote the camel breeders of the region and revive the age-old tradition of taming and t raining camels. But folk music and dances of the desert add colour to this otherwise `exclusive' camel affair. The festival begins with a colourful procession of beautifully decorated camels against the red-sandstone backdrop of the Junagarh fort. The pr ocession ends on the sands of the Polo Grounds. Then follow the camel races, camel milking competition, best breed competition, camel acrobatics, camel bands and so on. The camels display amazing footwork -- dancing gracefully to the slightest of instruc tions from their riders.

For every visitor to Rajasthan, the desert sands make an indelible impression on the mind -- its riot of colours, culture and royal heritage. We weren't spared either.

Fact file

How to get there:

By air -- The nearest airport is Jodhpur (253 km).

By rail -- Bikaner is well-connected to New Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bhatinda, Kalka and Howrah (Calcutta).

Important rail connections: Kalka Express, Bikaner Express, Chetak Express and Bikaner Mail.

By road -- Bikaner is well-connected to all the major cities such as New Delhi (456 km), Jaipur (334 km) and Jaisalmer (333 km).

Where to stay: There are luxury hotels for high-budget tourists as well as economy class accommodation at the lower end.

When to go: Best time is from October to March.

For more details contact:

Tourist Reception Centre,

Bikaner House,

Pandara Road,

New Delhi-110001.

Phone: 011-3389525/3383837

or

Tourist Reception Centre,

Hotel Dholamaru,

Bikaner.

Phone: 0151-27445.

Pic.: The Junagarh palace

Picture by Sarvesh