Lying
in the north of the desert state, the city is dotted with scores of sand
dunes. Bikaner retains the medieval grandeur that permeates the city's lifestyle.
More readily called the camel country, the city is distinguished for the
best riding camels in the world and hence boasts of having one of the largest
Camel research and breeading farm in the world. The ship of the desert is
an inseparable part of life here. A camel besides doing transportation duties,
also works on wells.
These are built on high plinths with slender minarets on each of the four
corners and can be noticed even from a distance. The history of Bikaner
dates back to 1488 when a Rathore prince, Rao Bikaji founded his kingdom.
Bikaji was one the five sons of Rao Jodhaji the illustrious founder of Jodhpur.
But Rao Bikaji was the most adventurous of them. It is said that an insensitive
remark from his father about his whispering in the Durbar provoked Bikaji
to set up his own kingdom towards the north of Jodhpur.
The barren wilderness called Jangladesh became his focus point and he transformed
it to an impressive city. He accomplished his task with 100 cavalry horses
and 500 soldiers, and established his kingdom on 84 villages abandoned by
the 'Shankhlas'. When Bikaji died in 1504 his rule had extended to over
3000 villages.
Modern
Bikaner is the result of the foresight of its most eminent ruler Maharaja Ganga
Singh (1887 1943) whose reformative zeal set the pace for Bikaner transformation
from a principality to a premier princely state. The strategic location of Bikaner
on the ancient caravan routes that came from West/Central Asia made it a prime
trade centre in those times. 
