Bikaner, Desert fortress city in Rajasthan, India
Bikaner is a desert town in northwestern Rajasthan, India, surrounded by sandy plains and scattered dunes of the Thar. Narrow lanes run through neighborhoods of multistory red sandstone houses, and wide roads connect the old quarters with newer residential areas.
A Rathore prince founded the settlement in the late 15th century after capturing territories from neighboring clans. It later developed into an independent princely state under the overlordship of Mughal emperors.
Local artisans craft traditional camel leather goods and wool products sold in workshops around the old town. The settlement carries the name of its founder and still serves as an important trading center for livestock herders from the Thar Desert.
The best visiting months are between October and March, when desert heat is more manageable. Water should be carried at all times, as humidity stays low and the sun shines intensely.
Some 19th-century houses display both Rajput arches and Victorian columns, a sign of trade with the British Empire. Wooden doors often carry hand-painted patterns in bright colors, renewed from generation to generation.
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