Bikaner

Located in the bitter wilderness of the far northwest corners of India, Bikaner surprises with its burst of colour and vibrancy amidst the sand dunes. An old princely state lovingly built by the Rajputs in the 1400s, it is easy to get a whiff of its medieval splendour at the fabulous Junagarh fort, also its biggest attraction. An in-house museum at Junagarh tracks the life and glorious times of the royal family as do other glamorous palaces in the city, some converted into opulent hotels catering to the upper echelons of visitors. Narrow streets built with the intent to protect against frequent sandstorms run through the old walled city, while temples dot the entire landscape uniformly, the most popular being the Karni Mata temple for its worship of rats, clearly a unique ritual even in India. All over Bikaner camels easily share space with motorized vehicles, often being the preferred mode of transport in the desert intensive parts about and out of town. In the winter months, many a Bikaner tour guide would recommend a Desert Safari in the Thar Desert, an out and out exhilarating experience that will leave visitors with memories of achingly beautiful dunes interspersed with colourful villages.