Category: junagarh Fort

Junagarh Fort – How to Reach? Bikaner is well connected to various cities of India through rail and road transport. The air transport has not been started yet though civil terminal has been constructed. The government is trying to boost up the air transport to increase international tourism. The cities nearby Bikaner with their approximate distance are as follows − Bikaner to Jodhpur By air — 165km By rail — 277km By road — 269km Bikaner to Jaipur By air — 272km By rail — 345km By road — 336km Bikaner to Jaisalmer By air — 268km By rail — 316km By road — 331km Bikaner to Delhi By air — 386km By rail — 448km By road — 447km Bikaner to Ahmedabad By air — 559km By rail — 732km By road — 738km Bikaner to Agra By air — 469km By rail — 622km By road — 546km Bikaner to Ajmer By air — 219km By rail — 521km By road — 269km Bikaner to Amritsar By air — 430km By rail — 607km By road — 518km Bikaner to Kota By air — 405km By rail — 576km By road — 535km By Air Bikaner airport is recently opened in 2014. The airport is 13km away from the city. Currently no flight arrives to or depart from the airport but the government is trying to start some flights soon. The nearest airport to Bikaner is Jodhpur. People can reach Jodhpur by air and from there they can reach Bikaner by train or by taxi. By Train Bikaner is connected to many cities by train as many long and short-distance trains start from Bikaner or go to other cities via Bikaner. No Rajdhani, Shatabdi, or Garib Rath trains run from the city but superfast trains and fast mail and express trains connects Bikaner to various cities. Bikaner is connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer etc. by rail transport. By Road Bikaner is well-connected to different cities via road transport. Tourists can either book a taxi or catch state-owned or private buses to go to nearby cities from Bikaner. Tourists can get direct buses to Delhi, Jaipur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jodhpur, Mumbai, Jaisalmer, and many other cities. Local Transport Bikaner is a very popular place to visit and tourists can either hire a taxi or take an auto-rickshaw to visit different places of the city. Due to sand dunes some roads are blocked often so tourists can hire a bicycle from railway station to roam around the city.

Junagarh Fort – Quick Guide Junagarh Fort – Overview Junagarh Fort, previously known as Chintamani, is situated in Bikaner. Karan Chand, the prime minister of Raja Rai Singh, supervised the construction of the fort. The construction of the fort was started in 1589 and ended in 1594. The fort was attacked many times and only Kamran Raza, son of Mughal Emperor Babur, was able to win it and that too for one day only. At that time, Bikaner was ruled by Rao Jait Singh. The fort includes palaces, temples, gates and many other structures. Bikaner Bikaner is a city of Rajasthan state situated in the northwest. The city was founded by Rao Bika in 1486AD. Bikaner was previously a forest area and was known as Jangladesh. His father Maharaja Rao Jodha founded the city of Jodhpur. Rao Bika has the ambition of having his kingdom rather inheriting it or the title of Maharaja from his father. So he built the city of Bikaner at Jangladesh. In 1478, he built a fort which ruined. After 100 years, Junagarh fort was constructed. Visiting Hours Junagarh Fort is opened for the public at 10:00am and closed at 4:30pm. The fort is opened on all days of the week including government holidays. It takes around two to three hours to visit the whole fort as there are many structures inside that the tourists can visit. Ticket Tourists have to pay an entry fee to visit Junagarh Fort. For Indian tourists, the cost of the ticket for adult is Rs. 50 and for students Rs. 30. For foreign tourists, the cost of ticket for adults is Rs. 300 and for students Rs. 150. Tourists can use still camera free of cost but they have to pay Rs. 100 for carrying video camera. There is a museum that opens at 9:00 and for that the tourists have to buy ticket separately whose cost is Rs. 20. For carrying still camera in the museum, tourists have to pay Rs. 20 and Rs. 100 for carrying video camera. For visiting Phool Mahal and Chandra Mahal, tourists have to pay Rs. 100. For audio tour, tourists have to pay Rs. 350 for adults and Rs. 200 for students. Best time to visit Best time to visit Junagarh Fort and Bikaner is from October to March. December and January are very cold but still tourists can enjoy visiting the place. The period from April to September is hot and humid and unpleasant weather will not let the visitors enjoy visiting. Where to Stay? There are many hotels in Bikaner that range from inexpensive budget hotels to expensive five-star hotels. Some of the popular hotels of Bikaner are as follows − Five-Star Hotels Hotel Kishan Palace located at Gajner Road Hotel Babu Heritage located nearby Railway Station Four-Star Hotels Vesta Bikaner Palace located at Himmatsar The Laxmi Niwas Palace located at Dr. Karni Singh Road Lalgarh Palace located at Lalgarh Complex Hotel Simran located at Railway Station Hotel Gaj Kesari located at Bypass Road Three-Star Hotels Hotel Basant Vihar Palace located at Sriganganagar Road Hotel Desert Winds located at Karni Singh Stadium Bikaner Hotel Heeralal located at Modern Market Gajner Palace Hotel located at Kolayat Hotel Banwari Palace located at 0.5km from Railway Station Budget Hotels Hotel Brindavan Regency located at Bypass Road Suraj Hotel located at Bypass Road Bahadur Vilas Hotel located at Karni Singh Stadium Hotel Chirag located at Sriganganagar Road Hotel Marudhar located at Gandhi Colony Junagarh Fort – History Establishment of Bikaner Junagarh fort was built on the ruins of an old fort built in 1478 by Rao Bika, second son of Maharaja Rao Jodha. Jodhpur was the city founded by Maharaja Rao Jodha. Since Rao Bika, was the second son so he had no chance of inheriting his father’s kingdom. So he decided to make his kingdom and founded Bikaner at a place called Jangladesh. Junagarh Fort under Rai Singh The Rajput king Raja Rai Singhji was the sixth ruler of Bikaner who accepted the sovereignty of Mughals. He was given a high position in Mughal army and he won territories for Mughals. He received rewards from them in the form of jagirs in Gujarat and Burhanpur. He earned a large amount of revenue through these jagirs and built Junagarh Fort at Bikaner. The construction of the fort was started in 1589 and completed in 1594. Junagarh Fort under Karan Singh Karan Singh was also one of the Rajput rulers who ruled from 1631 to 1639 under the sovereignty of the Mughals. He built the Karan Mahal inside the fort. The rulers who reigned Bikaner after Karan Singh added more floors to the Karan Mahal. Junagarh Fort under Anup Singh Anup Singh ruled Bikaner from 1669 to 1698 and built many palaces and Zanana quarters for females. He renovated the Karan Mahal and named it Anup Mahal. He also converted some parts of the palace to Diwan-i-Aam. Junagarh Fort under Other Rajput Rulers Gaj Singh ruled Bikaner from 1746 to 1787 and built Chandra Mahal. He was succeeded by Surat Singh who ruled from 1787 to 1828. He decorated the Diwan-i-Aam with glasses. Dungar Singh ruled the city from 1872 to 1887 and built the built a palace called Badal Mahal. The palace was given such a name as the king was inspired by a painting of rainfall. Dungar Singh was succeeded by Ganga Singh who ruled the city from 1887 to 1943. Ganga Singh built Ganga Nivas Palace having towers at the entrance. Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob was the architect of the palace. Ganga Singh was succeeded by Sadul Singh but the kingdom was later unified with India. Sadul Singh died in 1950. Junagarh Fort under Ganga Singh Ganga Singh, one of the Rajput rulers, got the title of Knight Commander from the British. He represented the British at various places like First World War conferences and Versailies Peace Conference and so he was given the title. He built many halls, Ganga palace, and

Junagarh Fort – Overview Junagarh Fort, previously known as Chintamani, is situated in Bikaner. Karan Chand, the prime minister of Raja Rai Singh, supervised the construction of the fort. The construction of the fort was started in 1589 and ended in 1594. The fort was attacked many times and only Kamran Raza, son of Mughal Emperor Babur, was able to win it and that too for one day only. At that time, Bikaner was ruled by Rao Jait Singh. The fort includes palaces, temples, gates and many other structures. Bikaner Bikaner is a city of Rajasthan state situated in the northwest. The city was founded by Rao Bika in 1486AD. Bikaner was previously a forest area and was known as Jangladesh. His father Maharaja Rao Jodha founded the city of Jodhpur. Rao Bika has the ambition of having his kingdom rather inheriting it or the title of Maharaja from his father. So he built the city of Bikaner at Jangladesh. In 1478, he built a fort which ruined. After 100 years, Junagarh fort was constructed. Visiting Hours Junagarh Fort is opened for the public at 10:00am and closed at 4:30pm. The fort is opened on all days of the week including government holidays. It takes around two to three hours to visit the whole fort as there are many structures inside that the tourists can visit. Ticket Tourists have to pay an entry fee to visit Junagarh Fort. For Indian tourists, the cost of the ticket for adult is Rs. 50 and for students Rs. 30. For foreign tourists, the cost of ticket for adults is Rs. 300 and for students Rs. 150. Tourists can use still camera free of cost but they have to pay Rs. 100 for carrying video camera. There is a museum that opens at 9:00 and for that the tourists have to buy ticket separately whose cost is Rs. 20. For carrying still camera in the museum, tourists have to pay Rs. 20 and Rs. 100 for carrying video camera. For visiting Phool Mahal and Chandra Mahal, tourists have to pay Rs. 100. For audio tour, tourists have to pay Rs. 350 for adults and Rs. 200 for students. Best time to visit Best time to visit Junagarh Fort and Bikaner is from October to March. December and January are very cold but still tourists can enjoy visiting the place. The period from April to September is hot and humid and unpleasant weather will not let the visitors enjoy visiting. Where to Stay? There are many hotels in Bikaner that range from inexpensive budget hotels to expensive five-star hotels. Some of the popular hotels of Bikaner are as follows − Five-Star Hotels Hotel Kishan Palace located at Gajner Road Hotel Babu Heritage located nearby Railway Station Four-Star Hotels Vesta Bikaner Palace located at Himmatsar The Laxmi Niwas Palace located at Dr. Karni Singh Road Lalgarh Palace located at Lalgarh Complex Hotel Simran located at Railway Station Hotel Gaj Kesari located at Bypass Road Three-Star Hotels Hotel Basant Vihar Palace located at Sriganganagar Road Hotel Desert Winds located at Karni Singh Stadium Bikaner Hotel Heeralal located at Modern Market Gajner Palace Hotel located at Kolayat Hotel Banwari Palace located at 0.5km from Railway Station Budget Hotels Hotel Brindavan Regency located at Bypass Road Suraj Hotel located at Bypass Road Bahadur Vilas Hotel located at Karni Singh Stadium Hotel Chirag located at Sriganganagar Road Hotel Marudhar located at Gandhi Colony

Junagarh Fort – Temples There are many temples in the fort that are related to Hindu and Jain religions. The temples were built in 16th century by Rajput rulers. Har Mandir Har Mandir was a temple where royal people came to worship. They used to celebrate the festivals of Dussehra and Gangaur here. During the festival of Dussehra, the royal people used to worship weapons and horses. The deity worshipped in this temple was Lakshmi Narayan which is the combination of Lord Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi. Besides these, birthdays and marriage functions of the royal family were also arranged and celebrated here. Ratan Behari Temple The temple is also known as Krishna temple and was mainly used to worship Lord Krishna. The temple was built by the 18th ruler of Bikaner in 1846. The temple was built on the basis of Indo-Mughal architecture and white marble was used to build it. Gaj Mandir Gaj Mandir is a beautiful temple whose walls are beautifully decorated. There are carvings on the walls along with impressive designs. The panels of the temple are also very beautiful. Gaj Mandir was built by Maharaja Gaj Singh and he lived here with his wives Phul Kanwar and Chand Kanwar.

Junagarh Fort – Nearby Places Besides visiting Junagarh Fort, tourists can also visit various other historical monuments and relaxing places like temples, zoo, beach, gardens etc. Some of these places are as follows − Jain Temple Bhandasar Bhandasar Jain Temple is very beautiful as it has yellow-coloured carvings. There are some paintings also which make it beautiful. The pillars of the temple has floral designs which depicts the love for 24 Jain Tirthankaras. It is said that instead of water, ghee was used in the mortar which now seeps in hot days. Lalgarh Palace Lalgarh palace was built for Ganga Singh who ruled Bikaner from 1902 to 1926. The architectural styles used in the palace are Rajput, Mughal, and European. The palace was named after Maharaja Lal Singh, father of Ganga Singh. Karni Singh opened a trust named Ganga Singhji charitable trust and gave a part of the palace to be used as office of the trust. A part is also given to be used as a hotel and the income from the hotel is used by the trust. Shiv Bari Temple Shiv Bari Temple was built in 19th century and is constructed by using red sandstone. Lord Shiva is worshipped here whose four faced statue along with the statue of Nandi is established here. The statue of the lord is made with black marble and Nandi is placed in such a way that it faces the Shiva Linga. The construction of the temple is based on Rajasthani architecture. Kodamdesar Temple The temple is located at a distance of 24km from the city. The temple was built by Rao Bika, the founder of Bikaner. The deity to whom the temple is dedicated to is Lord Bhairon who is worshipped here. The floor of the temple is made from marble and there is no roof over it. Newly-wedded couples and newly born babies are brought here to get blessings of Lord Bhairon. Laxminath Temple Laxminath temple, built by Rao Lunkaran, is said to be one of the oldest temple of Bikaner. The temple is 4km away from Junagarh Fort. The deities who are worshipped in the temple are Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. A large number of devotees come here during the festival of Janmashtmi, Nirjala Ekadashi, Ramnavami, Diwali, and Geeta Jayanti. Laxmi Niwas Palace Laxmi Niwas Palace was built by Ganga Singh between 1898 and 1902 on the basis of Indo Saracenic architecture. Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob was the architect of the palace. When the palace was completed, Jacob made another plan to make it larger than the Lalgarh Palace. The palace is made up of red sandstone and is a popular place n Bikaner. The palace is now used as a hotel and is managed by Golden Triangle Fort & Palace Pvt. Ltd.

Junagarh Fort – Architecture Junagarh Fort is one of the massy forts of India that was built in 1589. Many rulers came and ruled over Bikaner and constructed many structures inside the fort. The fort is designed in a rectangular pattern on a plain land in Bikaner. It is one of the forts in Rajasthan that is not built on a hilltop like Chittorgarh Fort or Jaisalmer Fort. The fort has 37 bastions or burj used to attack the enemy through cannons. Dimensions of the fort The length of the fort is 986m. The width of the walls is 4.4m and height is 12m. The total area of the fort is 5.28 hectares. The moat surrounding the fort has the depth of 6.1 to 7.6m. The base width of the moat is 4.6m while the top width is 9.1m. Structures inside the fort There are seven gates inside the fort out of which two are main gates. Besides these, the fort has many Hindu and Jain temples, pavilions, palaces, and many other structures. One of the great features of the fort is the stone carving that was done with red and gold sandstones. Rajasthani style was used while painting and decorating the interiors of the fort. One other feature of the Junagarh fort is the large number of rooms built in a palace as the kings did not want to live in the room of their predecessors. Because of having several structures in the fort, it has become a monument of composite culture. The monuments that were built earlier in the fort have Rajput architecture. Later Gujarat and Mughal architecture were also used. Semi-Western architecture was also used for building some of the monuments. Junagarh fort was ruled by 16 generations of Rajputs who built many structures inside the fort. The following structures can be found inside the fort − Symbolic hands of sati Seven Gates Nine Temples Four Deep Wells Three Gardens Old Jail Palaces The structures were made from red sandstones that were brought from Khari and Dulmera quarries. Each storey has different number of palaces. Second storey has 15, third storey has eight, fourth has eleven and fifth has five palaces.

Junagarh Fort – Useful Resources The following resources contain additional information on Junagarh Fort. Please use them to get more in-depth knowledge on this. Useful Links on Junagarh Fort − Wikipedia Reference for Junagarh Fort. To enlist your site on this page, please drop an email to [email protected]

Junagarh Fort – History Establishment of Bikaner Junagarh fort was built on the ruins of an old fort built in 1478 by Rao Bika, second son of Maharaja Rao Jodha. Jodhpur was the city founded by Maharaja Rao Jodha. Since Rao Bika, was the second son so he had no chance of inheriting his father’s kingdom. So he decided to make his kingdom and founded Bikaner at a place called Jangladesh. Junagarh Fort under Rai Singh The Rajput king Raja Rai Singhji was the sixth ruler of Bikaner who accepted the sovereignty of Mughals. He was given a high position in Mughal army and he won territories for Mughals. He received rewards from them in the form of jagirs in Gujarat and Burhanpur. He earned a large amount of revenue through these jagirs and built Junagarh Fort at Bikaner. The construction of the fort was started in 1589 and completed in 1594. Junagarh Fort under Karan Singh Karan Singh was also one of the Rajput rulers who ruled from 1631 to 1639 under the sovereignty of the Mughals. He built the Karan Mahal inside the fort. The rulers who reigned Bikaner after Karan Singh added more floors to the Karan Mahal. Junagarh Fort under Anup Singh Anup Singh ruled Bikaner from 1669 to 1698 and built many palaces and Zanana quarters for females. He renovated the Karan Mahal and named it Anup Mahal. He also converted some parts of the palace to Diwan-i-Aam. Junagarh Fort under Other Rajput Rulers Gaj Singh ruled Bikaner from 1746 to 1787 and built Chandra Mahal. He was succeeded by Surat Singh who ruled from 1787 to 1828. He decorated the Diwan-i-Aam with glasses. Dungar Singh ruled the city from 1872 to 1887 and built the built a palace called Badal Mahal. The palace was given such a name as the king was inspired by a painting of rainfall. Dungar Singh was succeeded by Ganga Singh who ruled the city from 1887 to 1943. Ganga Singh built Ganga Nivas Palace having towers at the entrance. Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob was the architect of the palace. Ganga Singh was succeeded by Sadul Singh but the kingdom was later unified with India. Sadul Singh died in 1950. Junagarh Fort under Ganga Singh Ganga Singh, one of the Rajput rulers, got the title of Knight Commander from the British. He represented the British at various places like First World War conferences and Versailies Peace Conference and so he was given the title. He built many halls, Ganga palace, and durbar hall. He also became the owner of the Lalgarh Palace which he got from the British. He shifted to the palace in 1902 and left the Junagarh Fort. The palace has now been converted into a hotel and the royal family lives in one of its suite. Junagarh Fort under the British British signed a treaty in 1818 with Maharajas of Bikaner and the city came under the sovereignty of the British. The treaty was signed after the British intervened in the battle and put it down that was being fought between the rulers of Bikaner and Jodhpur. Two entrances of the Junagarh fort were damaged.

Junagarh Fort, Bikaner Job Search Junagarh Fort was built by Raja Rai Singh who gave the supervision task to his prime minister Karan Chand. The real name of the fort was Chintamani which was changed to Junagarh Fort in 20th century. The fort was abandoned because the ruling family shifted to Lalgarh Palace. This tutorial will let you know about the history of the fort along with the structures present inside. You will also get the information about the best time to visit it along with how to reach the fort. Audience This tutorial is designed for the people who would like to know about the history of Junagarh Fort along with the interiors and design of the fort. This fort is visited by many people from India and abroad. Prerequisites This is a brief tutorial designed only for informational purpose. There are no prerequisites as such. All that you should have is a keen interest to explore new places and experience their charm.

Discuss Junagarh Fort Junagarh Fort was built by Raja Rai Singh who gave the supervision task to his prime minister Karan Chand. The real name of the fort was Chintamani which was changed to Junagarh Fort in 20th century. The fort was abandoned because the ruling family shifted to Lalgarh Palace. This tutorial will let you know about the history of the fort along with the structures present inside. You will also get the information about the best time to visit it along with how to reach the fort.