Bikaner Attractions - Junagarh Fort
Located at 1.5 K.M. away from the center of the city, the Junagarh Fort is synonym of an impressive fort in Bikaner. Founded in 1587 AD by Raja Rai Singh, this fort has never been conquered. Raja Rai Singh was a general in Mughal Emperor Akbar's army. The fort was built under the direction of Karan Chand, the prime minister of Raja Rai Singhji, the sixth ruler of Bikaner. This fort was initially called Chintamani and was renamed Junagarh or "Old Fort" in the early 20th century when the ruling family shifted to Lalgarh Palace. It forms a quadrangle with a perimeter of 986 meters and has 37 Bastions, a strong curtain wall and nine meter wide moat. The specialty of this fort is that-it is one of the few major forts in Rajasthan not built on a hilltop. The Junagerh Fort is a formidable structure encircled by a moat and it is undoubtdly the most prominent attraction in Bikaner. This fort was built by red sandstone and has gracefully carved windows and balconies. The Junagarh fort compound houses a number of palaces pavilions and temples within. Each of these palaces have been built successive kings and one can notice the distinct style of each era. There are 37 palaces, pavilions and temples which were later added to the original structure by successive rulers and each has been expertly built to connect with the previous buildings. Some of these are-Anup Mahal, Ganga Niwas Durbar Hall, Har Mandir, Sheesh Mahal, Karan Mahal, Pool Mahal and Chandra Mahal that are worth seeing. The museum in the fort has valuable sets of miniature paintings .
This Junagarh fort has two gates - the east facing main gate called the Karan Pol (gate) and the Suraj Pol, also known as the “Sun gate”. You can see the magnificent statues of the two protectors of the fort - Jaimal and Patta, near the gate.
• The Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) has large iron spikes on the door and two painted elephants on either side.
• The Karan Mahal was constructed after a victory over the Mughal army of Aurangzeb. This place was a court wherein the king met his intimate associates. It has gold-leaf paintings.
• The Anup Mahal is a beautiful and ornately decorated hall where the king would meet important visitors. It has mosaic ceiling tiles, superb mirrors, beautiful lattice work, and a large, majestic carpet made by prisoners in the Bikaner jail. Coronation rituals were held here.
• The Phool Mahal (Flower Palace) has impressive Muslim paintings known as Ustas, and attractive floral mirror work.
• The Bijai Mahal, Durga Niwas, and Rang Mahal have excellent paintings and tilework. The latticework in the Ganga Niwas is excellent.
• There is beautiful Har Mandir in the fort which is dedicated to Siva.
• Ganga Singh Hall, which is the last place to be visited, contains a museum. It has a weapons exhibit and items that belonged to past Maharajas.
• There is a handicraft shop named ‘Abhivyakti’, inside the main gate selling goods made in the local villages around Bikaner. They sell bags, good rugs, bed covers, and cloth.
