The hotel in Bikaner was very colourful, clean and well-managed, and the food was good. The fort was built between 1589 and 1594 on the basis of an earlier fort built in 1478 by Rao Bika who created the city of Bikaner in 1472. Unlike other Rajasthan forts it was built on flat ground because its role was not defensive, but as a tax gathering institution charging camel caravans travelling between Central Asia and Gujerat. As forts and palaces go, we didn’t really think much of it when comparing it to other places, especially Udaipur. It has a WW1 de Havilland bi-plane which has been cobbled together from two such planes presented to the Maharajah in gratitude for sending soldiers to fight for Britain. There are two stuffed tigers and photo of some pompous arse (probably a maharajah) looking pleased with himself for having shot a large tiger. Pity the tiger didn’t have a gun. The oldest throne in India, dating back to the 12th century can be seen, and there are numerous rooms with pictures of maharajahs, who all look the same with their handlebar moustaches. Some of the rooms were beautiful but, sadly, I forgot to take my phone and, although Jennifer whatsapped her pictures to me, I don’t seem able to load them onto my computer.
Wedding vehicles passed on the road to Bikaner
6 thoughts on “Day 27 (22nd February) Bikaner”