Bikaner is a treat as it is not part of the Rajasthan tourist sights, so is still unspoilt by the usual tourist spotters. It may not claim the atmosphere of Jaisalmer but it has two well worthwhile attractions. One is the Karni Mata (Rat Temple)…Read More

Bikaner is a treat as it is not part of the Rajasthan tourist sights, so is still unspoilt by the usual tourist spotters. It may not claim the atmosphere of Jaisalmer but it has two well worthwhile attractions. One is the Karni Mata (Rat Temple) at Deshnok, about 30kms from Bikaner. We took an auto rickshaw there, and travelling at about 30kms per hour it took more than an hour.

The Karni Mata temple is dedicated to rats, they scuttle around being fed by devotees, and as this is a temple, many Indians come here to worship.

If you are an animal lover, this is definitely the place for you. This temple is these rats home, and they just go about their day (with the added hassle of watching out for human feet). It is complete bliss to study at close quarters how man and animal have come together to build something of mutual benefit. The rats live off sweets, milk and other niceties offered by devoted worshipers.
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Bikaner is just a short distance from Jaisalmer, and was next on our list after Jaisalmer. Tony and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. It’s approximately, 230+ km and can be reached within 4.5 hours. We wanted to take in the beauty of Rajasthan and…Read More

Bikaner is just a short distance from Jaisalmer, and was next on our list after Jaisalmer. Tony and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. It’s approximately, 230+ km and can be reached within 4.5 hours. We wanted to take in the beauty of Rajasthan and hired a car and a driver from a well-known tourist taxi agency. The name of our driver was, Swarup Prasad who would also double up as our guide and would take us around Bikaner so off we went. I am told that Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Barmer is one of the most popular desert circuits that tourists do.
Last night, Tony and I spent our second honeymoon at the camel safari camp, Jaisalmer and after tucking in a sumptuous English breakfast, we set off. Swarup Prasad, our driver suggested that while we have a look at Junagarh fort, he would catch up with his brother and family. Sounds like a reasonable proposition. Junagarh fort is a huge imposing fort and contains several palaces, Hindu and Jain temples. The work done across the fort especially in the living quarters is intrinsic and has beautiful gardens, inlay work done with Italian marble and what not. It seems that the Kings and the Emperors here had a truly lavish lifestyle, the pomp and the opulence comparable to the European courts and palaces. This was something really striking and news to me.
Got an email from my sister, Angelina and she wrote "wonderful camel hide accessories will look great in our family room". Tony suggested that we trudge down to the local market to get camel hide accessories especially for Angelina, but before that some important work needs to be finished. My stomach was growling and I surely needed a beer to get my reserves for the shopping.
Unlike other forts in Rajasthan, there aren’t any shops in the Junagarh fort, so all shops are outside the fort where shopping is an absolute must. Swarup Prasad suggested that we go to Hotel Shiv Raj Regency that serves Indian and Chinese cuisine and alcohol. They served us Godfather Beer, which was pretty nice and gave me the right amount of kick. This was a nice place and the servers are really courteous.Every time, you order something, they have a peculiar way of addressing the guests – ‘Hukum’, which loosely translates to "Sir/Madam, and of course it will be done". In fact the driver addressed me as Nancy hokum and Tony as Tony Hukum, which made us feel really special. That done, it was time for me and Tony to head out to Kote Gate, one of the many bazars that sell all kinds of handicrafts and especially the camel hide accessories.
Bargaining is an absolute must in the markets and the shopkeepers expect it too. So with my fine-tuned bargaining skills I was able to get a table lamp and some local open shoes known as mojris made of camel hide for me and Angelina. Very pretty and colorful and I picked a pair for Tony also, all this for about$30. Quite by chance, Tony discovered about Kota kurtas (a kind of long shirt), these are really light and flimsy, perfect for a summer afternoon. For less than $10, you get to pick up the shade of cloth and even get it stitched. A totally customized shirt that is made according to your body specifications. This was ready within 1.5 hours. Wow.
Swarup Prasad was back after meeting his brother and family, and was now taking me to visit the famous Laxmi Nath temple. We were told by him, that it’s an experience that shouldn’t be missed. His advice was to dress modestly as one should do especially for Jain and Hindu temples.
Looking forward to the experience….
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