Where is the Lalgarh Palace?
The Lalgarh Palace (3 km north of the city centre) is located at Bikaner in
the state of Rajasthan in northwestern India. The desert town of Bikaner was
founded by Rao Bika in the year 1488. Today the town pulls in hordes of
travellers and tourists, the brilliant Lalgarh Palace and the camel safaris
being the major attractions.
How will you gain access?
The Jodhpur Airport is the nearest airport from Bikaner. Jaipur, the
capital of Rajasthan, is well linked to Delhi (460 km), Mumbai (1304 km),
Kolkata (1810 km) and Chennai(2303 km). there are regular train services
from Bikaner to Jodhpur. National Highways and State Highways provide an
excellent road-network.
What are the timings and the entry charges?
The Lalgarh Palace is open for the visitors from 10-00 hours to 16-30
hours. Entry charge is Rs 5 per head. The palace remains closed on
Wednesdays.
What
does the past say?
The Lalgarh Palace was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh Ji in 1926. It was
erected in the memory of his father Maharaja Lal Singh Ji. It was Sir
Swinton Jacob who designed the oriental structure of the palace.
What goes behind the architecture?
Built in red sandstone, the Lalgarh Palace is an architectural masterpiece.
The palace is a beautiful mix of the Rajput, the Mughal and the European
architecture. Wonderful lattice work and filigree work can be observed here.
The terraced lawns and the Bougainvillea bushes add utmost charm to the
palace. The fort museum in the Ganga Niwas was built during the reign of
Maharaja Sir Ganga Singh. The museum exhibits an interesting collection of
miniature paintings, manuscripts, weaponry and even a bi-plane from the
First World War. Today the palace has been converted into a beautiful hotel.
The Sri Sadul Museum houses a huge collection of books, photographs,
manuscripts and albums.
What are the nearby attractions?
» Junagarh Fort
The
Junagarh Fort is a major attraction at Bikaner. It was built by Rai Singh
between 1588 and 1593. The fort consists of a 986-metre-long wall with 37
bastions, a moat and two entrances. The fort is perched at an elevation of
seven hundred feet above sea level.
» Camel Research and Breeding Farm
At a distance of 8 km from Bikaner lies the Camel Research and Breeding
Farm. It is one of its kind in the whole of Asia, carrying out breeding and
training of camels. The farm is managed by the Government.
» Gajner Palace
The Gajner palace was the summer resort of the erstwhile kings. Today, the
palace has been converted into a hotel.
» Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum
The Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum is considered to be one of the best in
Rajasthan. The museum takes great pride in its priceless collection of terra
cotta ware, weapons, miniature paintings of Bikaner School. The coins that
are exhibited date back to the Gupta and the Kushana era.
» Mata Karni Temple
Thirty kilometres south of Bikaner is the much celebrated Mata Karni
Temple. The temple is 600 years old, being dedicated to Karni Mata, an
incarnation of Goddess Durga. The temple is home to thousands of holy rats
that are a major attraction of the place. These rats are held in high esteem
and if you accidentally step on one of them, a gold replica is to be
produced to make up for the loss.
