About Bikaner

The sprawling desert city of Bikaner is located in the north west of Rajasthan. The city was founded by a descendant of Rao Jodha, the founder of Jodhpur. The city is encircled by a 7 km long wall having 5 entrances. A city where the royals lived in the past, Bikaner has attractive forts and palaces. One of them is Junagarh fort, ranking among the most attractive fort complexes built during medieval period.

Junagarh Fort is a rare example of a medieval period monument whose beauty and grandeur remains intact due to some great preservation efforts. A look at the exquisitely carved walls of Junagarh gives the impression that the fort has been built only a few days back. This magnificent fort was built in the year 1588 A.D by Raja Rai Singh, one of the most trusted generals of Emperor Akbar. Another striking feature of Junagarh fort is that it has been built on lower grounds. It may be mentioned that forts are generally built on higher plains to enhance their defensive characteristics. In spite of that, Junagarh fort could never be conquered. As many as 37 bastions guard the fort and access inside the fort is provided by only two gates. Suraj Pol or Sun Gate is the main entrance to the fort. The fort consists of attractive palaces, courtyards, pavilions and balconies.