Around Bikaner!

Devi Kund
Eight kilometres east of Bikaner lies Devi Kund, the site of a royal crematorium with several ornamented cenotaphs or chhatris built in the memory of the Bika dynasty rulers. The white marble chhatri of Maharaja Surat Singh is very imposing.

Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary
Just 32 kilometres from Bikaner, the Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a variety of wild animals. The animals commonly found here are desert foxes, wild boars and antelopes. Imperial sand grouse migrate here during the winter. By the lake is the beautiful hotel Gajner Palace, which was once the winter palace of the Bikaner royal family.

Deshnoke Temple
Thirty kilometres south of Bikaner is the village of Deshnoke, where the famous Mata Karni Temple is situated. The 600-year-old temple is dedicated to Karni Mata, an incarnation of Goddess Durga. Legend has it that before embarking on his campaign, Rao Bhikaji sought the blessings of mystic Goddess Karni at Deshnoke. Since then the Karni Mata temple in Deshnoke continued to be patronized by the ruling family. Today hundreds of pilgrims flock the temple everyday to invoke the blessings of the Goddess, who is revered as an incarnation of Goddess Durga. The temple has huge intricately carved silver gates donated by Maharaja Ganga Singh. The temple plays host to thousands of rats that form the major attraction here. The rats are considered sacred and worshipped accordingly. One has to be very careful while entering the inner sanctum, because it is believed that if anyone accidentally step on a rat, a gold replica has to be made to compensate for the lost life.

Bhandeshwar & Sandeshwar Temples
Five kms from the city, these temples are the oldest surviving monuments of aesthetic heritage. These were built by two brothers and the temples carry their names. The mirror work and the gold leaf paintings in the temple are noteworthy. The temples are dedicated to 23rd Jain teerthankar, Parsvanathji.

Kalibanga
One of the major archaeology sites of the Harappan civilisation. This place houses immense treasure of our past and is of particular interest to archaeology enthusiasts.

Camel Breeding Farms
Eight kilometres from Bikaner, the government-managed Camel Research and Breeding Farm is only one of its kinds in Asia. The farm carries out breeding and training of camels.