56-519: Bikaner ( pronunciation ) is a city in the northwest of the state of Rajasthan , India . It is located 330 kilometres (205 mi) northwest of the state capital, Jaipur . It is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division . Formerly the capital of the princely Bikaner State , the city was founded by Rao Bika , a Rajput chief of the Rathore dynasty in 1488 CE and from its small origins it has developed into
112-405: A state government . The governing powers of the states are shared between the state government and the union government . On the other hand, the union territories are directly governed by the union government. The Indian Empire was a very complex political entity consisting of various imperial divisions and states and territories of varying autonomy. At the time of its establishment in 1876, it
168-405: A famous mystic of her times, believed to be an incarnation of goddess Durga . The locals will be quick to point out that the creatures running around in the temple are not rats, they are kaaba . Kaabas are believed to be reincarnations of humans who had been devotees of Karni Mata, and the brevity of human life did not sufficiently satisfy their devotion. The shrine of Karni Mata can be found in
224-595: A fort in 1478, which is now in ruins, and a hundred years later a new fort was built about 1.5 km from the city centre, known as the Junagarh Fort. Around a century after Rao Bika founded Bikaner, the state's fortunes flourished under the sixth Raja, Rai Singhji, who ruled from 1571 to 1611. During the Mughal Empire 's rule in the country, Raja Rai Singh accepted the suzerainty of the Mughals and held
280-725: A high rank as an army general at the court of the Emperor Akbar and his son, the Emperor Jahangir . Rai Singh's successful military exploits, which involved winning half of Mewar kingdom for the Empire, won him accolades and rewards from the Mughal emperors. He was given the jagirs (lands) of Gujarat and Burhanpur . With the large revenue earned from these jagirs, he built the Chintamani Durg (Junagarh fort) on
336-664: A plain that has an average elevation of 760 feet (230 m). He was an expert in arts and architecture, and the knowledge he acquired during his visits abroad is amply reflected in the numerous monuments he built at the Junagarh fort. Maharaja Karan Singh, who ruled from 1631 to 1639, under the suzerainty of the Mughals , built the Karan Mahal palace. Later rulers added more floors and decorations to this Mahal. Anup Singh , who ruled from 1669 to 1698, made substantial additions to
392-423: A series of conditions with Mir Jafar following his victory in the 1757 Battle of Plassey , and subsequently those in the 1765 Treaty of Allahabad , as a result of the company's success in the 1764 Battle of Buxar . A successor of Clive, Richard Wellesley initially took a non-ind refined the policy of forming subsidiary alliances. The purpose and ambition of this change are stated in his February 1804 dispatch to
448-464: A sovereign democratic republic. The new republic was also declared to be a "Union of States". The constitution of 1950 distinguished between three main types of states: Andhra State was created on 1 October 1953 from the Telugu -speaking northern districts of Madras State . The French enclave of Chandernagore was transferred to West Bengal in 1954. In the same year Pondicherry , comprising
504-498: Is 49.5 °C (121.1 °F) on 19 May 2016 and lowest ever recorded is −4.0 °C (24.8 °F) on 26 January 1964. As of the 2011 Census of India the population of Bikaner city was 644,406 placing it in the top 70 major cities of India and 5th in Rajasthan. The female to male ratio in the city was 904/1,000. The literacy rate in the city was about 79%, male literacy being 87% and female literacy being 71%. The majority of
560-547: Is a famous camel festival site near Malasar Village . It is about 30 km from Bikaner. Rao Bikaji's first fort, 'Bikaji Ki Tekri' built in 1478 is now in ruins. A hundred years later a new fort was built about 1.5 km from the city centre, named Junagarh Fort. The Karni Mata (करणी माता) Temple or the Rat Temple of Rajasthan is situated around 30 km away from the Bikaner city and is dedicated to goddess Karni Mata,
616-578: Is available to apprise them of the developmental and research aspects of the camel in the desert ecosystem. Maharaja Ganga Singh of the Indian State of Bikaner founded Bikaner Camel Corps around 1890 and became a part of the BSF in Independent India. The Rajasthan government has decided to set up its first cow sanctuary in Bikaner. It has a dedicated Ministry of Cow Husbandry. The sanctuary
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#1732773189424672-702: Is held every year in January or February. Organised by the Department of Tourism, Art and Culture, the city celebrates the festival in honour of camels. Competitions like Mr Bikana and Miss Marwan are also held during the festival. States and territories of India India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories , for a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 806 districts and smaller administrative divisions . The states of India are self-governing administrative divisions, each having
728-454: Is likely to be set up near Amarpura village , about 70 km from Bikaner. Educational Institutes located in Bikaner are Sardar Patel Medical College , Government Engineering College Bikaner , Government Polytechnic College Bikaner, Maharaja Ganga Singh University , Rajasthan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences , Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University , and Bikaner Technical University . International Camel Festival
784-549: Is located 32 km west of the Bikaner. National Research Centre on Camels was established in 1984 in Bikaner by the Central Government under Indian Council of Agricultural Research at the outskirts of Bikaner city to promote research and development related to camels such as effective breeding, utilisation of camel milk. Scientists engage with all stakeholders like Camel herders, traders via collaborative programmes and significant growth had been made. A camel museum
840-519: Is one of the oldest temples in Bikaner and 4 kilometres from Junagarh Fort . Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi . The artwork inside the temple apart from the shrines is the doorway which is embellished in silver work. Festivals like Janmashtmi , Nirjala Ekadashi , Rama Navami , Diwali and Gita Jayanti are majorly celebrated at the temple. Bhandasar Jain Temple is known for its beautiful leaf paintings, frescoes and ornamented mirror work. This temple
896-508: Is the main bus station in Bikaner. It connects Bikaner to other cities in Rajasthan and nearby states via road. Bikaner has Domestic Civil Airport Nal Airport which is located 15 km west of the city. Regular flights to Jaipur JAI and Delhi DEL commenced in 2017-18 under UDAN scheme of Narendra Modi Govt. The city is famous for its savoury snack Bikaneri bhujia and also have geographical indication (GI) tag to keep its originality intact. Other special food items for which Bikaner
952-406: Is well known are Bajre ki Roti ( Chapati made up of Pearl millet flour), Dal baati Churma , Ghevar , Halvas , Papads/ Papadum , Rasgulla , Gulab Jamun , Kachori and Samosa . Haldiram's , a multinational snacks and sweets company was founded by Ganga Bishan Agarwal of Bikaner. The Agarwal family also own other brands like Bikaji, Bikanervala , Bikano and Prabhuji. The Junagarh Fort
1008-803: The Crown Colony of Burma . In 1947, the last Act of the Crown was passed. The act dissolved the Indian Empire, the Imperial Legislative Council and the Chamber of Princes and the Union of India was consequently established from 9 former Indian provinces ( East Punjab , United Provinces , Central Provinces , Madras , Bombay , Bihar , Orissa , West Bengal and Assam ) and 562 former Indian states. Between 1947 and 1950,
1064-648: The Union of India in 1949. Maharaja Sadul Singh died in 1950, being succeeded in the title by his son, Karni Singh (1924–1988). The Royal Family still lives in a suite in Lalgarh Palace, which they have converted into a heritage hotel. Bikaner is situated in the middle of the Thar desert and has a hot desert climate ( Köppen climate classification BWh ), bordering on a hot semi arid climate (Koppen: BSh), with very little rainfall and extreme temperatures. In summer temperatures can exceed 48 °C, and during
1120-740: The Badal Mahal, the 'weather palace', so named in view of a painting of clouds and falling rain, a rare event in arid Bikaner. General Maharaja Ganga Singh , who ruled from 1887 to 1943, was the best-known of the Rajasthan princes and was a favourite of the British Viceroys of India . He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India , served as a member of the Imperial War Cabinet , represented India at
1176-674: The British victory in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War in 1799, Mysore became a subsidiary state before coming under Company rule . After the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–19), Maratha ruler Baji Rao II also accepted a subsidiary alliance. Other states also accepted this alliance, including Tanjore/ Mysore (1799), Awadh (1801), Peshwa (1802), Bhonsle (1803), Scindia (1804), Singrauli (1814), Jaipur Jodhpur (1818) . The Holkar State of Indore
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#17327731894241232-617: The East India Company Resident in Hyderabad: "His Excellency the Governor-General's policy in establishing subsidiary alliances with the principal states of India is to place those states in such a degree of dependence on the British power as may deprive them of the means of prosecuting any measures or of forming any confederacy hazardous to the security of the British empire, and may enable us to reserve
1288-474: The Government of India introduced legislation to merge the union territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli into a single union territory to be known as Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu , effective from 26 January 2020. Ladakh UT The Constitution of India distributes the sovereign executive and legislative powers exercisable with respect to the territory of any state between
1344-830: The Imperial Conferences during the First World War and the British Empire at the Versailles Peace Conference . His contribution to the building activity in Junagarh involved separate halls for public and private audiences in the Ganga Mahal and a durbar hall for formal functions. He also built the Ganga Niwas Palace, which has towers at the entrance patio. This palace was designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob ,
1400-491: The Indian Union and the state's monarchy was abolished. In 1987, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram became states on 20 February, followed by Goa on 30 May, while erstwhile union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu 's northern exclaves Damão and Diu became a separate union territory as Daman and Diu . In November 2000, three new states were created, namely: Pondicherry was renamed Puducherry in 2007 and Orissa
1456-522: The Union and that state. Subsidiary alliance A subsidiary alliance , in South Asian history , was a tributary alliance between an Indian state and a European East India Company. Under this system, an Indian ruler who formed a treaty (agreement) with the company in question would be provided with protection against any external attacks. In return, the ruler was required to: The ruler
1512-501: The defunct Bengal Presidency for judicial and legal purposes. Agra was separated in 1878 and merged with Oudh . The Bengal Presidency was re-established in 1912 as a governorship. All these provinces had their own legislatures established by the Indian Councils Acts, and high courts established by Indian High Courts Acts. Laws passed by these legislatures needed the dual assent of the governor or lieutenant-governor of
1568-587: The former French enclaves of Pondichéry , Karikal , Yanaon and Mahé , was transferred to India. This became a union territory in 1962. Also in 1954, pro-India forces liberated the Portuguese-held enclaves of Dadrá and Nagar Aveli , declaring the short-lived de facto state of Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli . In 1961, India annexed it as the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli . The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 reorganised
1624-675: The fort complex, including new palaces and the Zenana quarter, a royal dwelling for women and children. He refurbished the Karan Mahal with a Diwan-i-Am (public audience hall) and called it the Anup Mahal. Maharaja Gaj Singh, who ruled from 1746 to 1787 refurbished the Chandra Mahal (the Moon Palace). During the 18th century, there was an internecine war between the rulers of Bikaner and Jodhpur and also among other thakurs , which
1680-484: The fourth largest city in Rajasthan. The Ganga Canal , completed in 1928, and the Indira Gandhi Canal , completed in 1987, facilitated its development. The name "Bikaner" is a combination of two elements: "Bika", derived from the city's founder, Rao Bika and "Ner", which is believed to mean "place" or "city" in the local Rajasthani language . Hence, "Bikaner" translates to "the city of Bika". Prior to
1736-466: The grandiose living style of the past Maharanas of Rajasthan. The Laxmi Niwas Palace is a former residential palace built by Maharajah Ganga Singh, the ruler of the former state of Bikaner. It was designed by the British architect, Samuel Swinton Jacob in the year 1902. The style of architecture is Indo-Saracenic . It is now a luxury Heritage hotel owned by the royal family of Bikaner. Malasar
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1792-622: The late 18th century, the power of the Maratha Empire had weakened and the Indian subcontinent was left with a great number of states, most small and weak. Many rulers accepted the offer of protection by Wellesley, as it gave them security against attack by their neighbors. The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first to accept a well-framed subsidiary alliance in 1798. Tipu Sultan of the Kingdom of Mysore refrained from doing so, but after
1848-413: The mid 15th century, the region that is now Bikaner was a barren wilderness called Jangladesh . Rao Bika established the city of Bikaner in 1488. He was the first son of Maharaja Rao Jodha of the Rathore clan, the founder of Jodhpur and conquered the largely arid country in the north of Rajasthan. As the first son of Jodha he wanted to have his own kingdom, not inheriting Jodhpur from his father or
1904-446: The number of vultures which have dwindled. There are around 600 resident vultures at Jorbeer. The region is host to another 1,200 migratory vultures. Local varieties include Egyptian and King Vultures . The most common migratory vulture is Eurasian Griffon coming from Spain and Turkey . Other migratory vultures include Cinereous and Himalayan Griffons . Saw-scaled Viper is also native to Bikaner. Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary
1960-544: The population of the city follows Hinduism , with followers of Islam a large minority. The city has a substantial followers of Jainism . Languages of Bikaner (2011) Rajasthani is the major language spoken here, while Hindi is the language of the educated. Small communities of Punjabi speakers also live here. Bikaner railway station is a major railway junction in the North Western Railway zone of Indian Railways . The first railway link to Bikaner
2016-648: The province and the governor-general of India , who functioned as the representative of the Emperor . In addition to these, there were certain territories ruled directly by the Government of India through nominated chief commissioners. These were former independent states annexed to India and since ruled directly by the Supreme Government. A vast majority of the Indian states in the late nineteenth century were, in terms of imperial divisions, organised within
2072-466: The provinces with only territories under direct Crown rule. The latter years of the Indian Empire saw the enactment of the last Government of India Act by the Crown. This act granted full autonomy to Indian provinces. Provincial laws no longer needed the assent of the governor-general. This act created the office of a Premier in each province, who functioned as the new head of government and
2128-627: The provinces. However a good number of states were organised into imperial structures called agencies, or residencies. An Agent to the Governor-General (AGG) functioned as the Emperor's representative to all the states in the agency. In 1919, the fourth Government of India was enacted by the Crown. This saw many major changes. The legislatures of the provinces were made elected ones rather than nominated ones. Some provinces were given bicameral legislatures . All provinces were elevated to governorships and all lieutenant governors were made governors. Burma
2184-531: The representative of the Emperor to that province and head of government of the directly ruled territories in the province. The governor or lieutenant-governor also served as the Emperor's representative to the constituent states of the province. The first three of the lieutenant-governorships were territories annexed to India from other powers and temporarily governed by the erstwhile Bengal Presidency, before being made into their own separate provinces. Agra and Bengal were still considered de jure parts of
2240-495: The states based on linguistic lines resulting in the creation of the new states. As a result of this act: Bombay State was split into the linguistic states of Gujarat and Maharashtra on 1 May 1960 by the Bombay Reorganisation Act. The former Union Territory of Nagaland achieved statehood on 1 December 1963. The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 resulted in the creation of Haryana on 1 November and
2296-552: The territories of the princely states were politically integrated into the new Indian Union . Most were merged into existing provinces. Others were organised into new provinces and states , such as Rajasthan , Himachal Pradesh , Malwa Union , Baghelkhand and Bundelkhand States Union , and Patiala and East Punjab States Union , made up of multiple princely states. A few, including Mysore , Hyderabad , Bhopal , and Bilaspur , became separate states. The new Constitution of India , which came into force on 26 January 1950, made India
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2352-481: The third of the new palaces built in Bikaner. He named the building Lalgarh Palace in honour of his father, and moved his main residence there from Junagarh Fort in 1902. The hall where he held his Golden Jubilee (in 1938) as Bikaner's ruler is now a museum. Ganga Singh 's son, Lieutenant-General Sir Sadul Singh , the Yuvaraja of Bikaner , succeeded his father as Maharaja in 1943, but acceded his state to
2408-547: The title of Maharaja. He therefore decided to build his own kingdom in what is now the state of Bikaner, in the area of Jangladesh. Though it was in the Thar Desert , Bikaner was considered an oasis on the trade route between Central Asia and the Gujarat coast as it had adequate spring water. Bika's name was attached to the city he built and to the state of Bikaner ("the settlement of Bika") that he established. Bika built
2464-492: The town of Deshnoke 30 km south from Bikaner on the road to Jodhpur. Karni Mata is worshiped as an incarnation of Goddess Durga . The Mukam Temple, also known as Mukti Dham Mukam, is located near Nokha . The Mukam is a holy place of 29 rules of followers of Bishnois. Bishnoi sect was founded by Guru Jambeshwar. Bishnois are very protective of nature. Mukam Mukti Dham is a Bishnoi temple built over his samadhi . Built by Maharaja Rao Lunkaran , Shri Laxminath Temple
2520-415: The tranquility of India by exercising a general control over those states, calculated to prevent the operation of that restless spirit of ambition and violence which is the characteristic of every Asiatic government, and which from the earliest period of Eastern history has rendered the peninsula of India the scene of perpetual warfare, turbulence and disorder..." Richard Wellesley, 4th February 1804 By
2576-415: The transfer of the northern districts of Punjab to Himachal Pradesh . The act designated Chandigarh as a union territory and the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana. Madras State was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1969. The north-eastern states of Manipur , Meghalaya and Tripura were formed on 21 January 1972. Mysore State was renamed Karnataka in 1973. On 16 May 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state of
2632-459: The winter they may dip below freezing. The climate in Bikaner is characterised by significant variations in temperature. In the summer season it is very hot when the temperatures lie in the range of 28–53.5 °C (82.4–128.3 °F). In the winter, it is fairly cold with temperatures lying in the range of −4–23.2 °C (24.8–73.8 °F). Annual rainfall is in the range of 260–440 millimetres (10–17 in). The highest ever temperature recorded
2688-550: Was also forbidden from maintaining a standing army . Agents from the East India Company were hired to live in the places. They later started interfering in the internal affairs of the state, such as the next ruler or nawab. The system of subsidiary alliances was pioneered Carnatic region . The system was subsequently adopted by the British East India Company , with Robert Clive negotiating
2744-438: Was built around 1594 CE by Raja Rai Singh. The fort was originally called Chintamani . It is one of the few major forts in Rajasthan which was not built on hilly terrain. The modern city of Bikaner has developed around the fort. The fort is studded with temples, grand palaces and huge pavilions and walls. In 1961, a museum was set up by Maharaja Karni Singh . Its temples and palaces are preserved as museums and provide insight into
2800-444: Was constructed by Bhandasa Oswal in the 15th century. This temple is constructed using red sandstone with paintings on walls and pillars of the sanctum and mandapa . The temple is dedicated to the 5th Tirthankara sumatinatha . The temple consist of garbhagriha , antarala , mahamandapa and ardhamandapa . A variety of birds, mammals and reptiles live in Bikaner's semi-A Qrid climate. Initiatives are being taken to bring back
2856-411: Was established on 9 December 1891 as part of Jodhpur State Railway and it has undergone many administrative modifications since then. Today Bikaner Railway Station is efficiently well connected to National Capital Delhi and Rajasthan State's capital Jaipur along with major Indian cities. Bikaner is well served with roads and is linked directly to Delhi and other major cities. Central Bus Stand
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#17327731894242912-506: Was given a special status and made an autonomous province. The Chamber of Princes was established by Emperor George V in 1920. One of the major consequences of this was the creation of many more agencies from the states of the provinces, thus granting them direct relations with the Emperor instead of with the Governors. This saw the separation of all the states from the provinces and addition to before-mentioned agencies. This left all
2968-605: Was made up of 584 constituent states and the directly ruled territories of the Crown . The entire empire was divided into provinces and agencies. A province consisted of territory under the direct rule of the Emperor of India (who was also the King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions ) and a few minor states, ruled by Indian princes under the suzerainty of the Emperor. A Governor or Lieutenant-Governor acted as
3024-535: Was put down by British troops. Following Maharaja Gaj Singh, Maharaja Surat Singh ruled from 1787 to 1828 and lavishly decorated the audience hall (see illustration) with glass and lively paintwork. Under a treaty of paramountcy signed in 1818, during Maharaja Surat Singh's reign, Bikaner came under the suzerainty of the British, after which the Maharajas of Bikaner invested heavily in refurbishing Junagarh fort. Dungar Singh , who reigned from 1872 to 1887, built
3080-593: Was renamed Odisha in 2011. Telangana was created on 2 June 2014 from ten former districts of north-western Andhra Pradesh . In August 2019, the Parliament of India passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 , which contains provisions to reorganise the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories; Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh , effective from 31 October 2019. Later that year in November,
3136-399: Was responsible to the provincial legislature. Bengal, Madras and Bombay which had been till now styled Presidencies, were now officially styled as provinces. The provinces of Orissa and Sind were created from Bihar and Bombay respectively. The Province of Burma which had previously functioned as an autonomous province of India was now separated from the Indian Empire, and established as
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