LALLGARH PALACE, RAJASTHAN Location : Bikaner in Rajasthan, India Built In : 19th century Popular For : Blend of Oriental And European Style of Architecture When To Visit : October-March

Lallgarh Palace - Bikaner, Rajasthan

Bikaner City Jaisalmer

Camel Festival At Bikaner Jodhpur

Junagarh Fort

A Hideout In Desert - Lalgarh Palace

Sand storms lash the town in summer and a golden haze hides even the tallest buildings, as trees are bent by fierce winds. A land more hostile is difficult to imagine, and to construct a red sand stone palace in this inexorable ambiance is next to impossible. The rarity was achieved through an architectural plan drafted by Sir Swinton Jacob, the eminent architect of the early 20th century. And hence the greatest symbol of Bikaner's aspiration to be one of the world's modern kingdoms, was structured.

The famous Lallgarh Palace (named after maharajah Lall Singh, who spelt his name with two lls), on one hand served to portray Ganga Singh's endeavor to make Bikaner prudentially more liberated while on the other, it also served as a link with the continuing tradition of the past.

A Paradise of Red Sandstone

A huge but compact palace, Lalgarh Palace is built entirely of red sandstone embellished with magnificent filigree work and is an integrated example of Indo-Saracenic architecture. Its facade is almost entirely composed of the pierced stone screens called jaalis. A well known feature of Rajasthani architecture, the jaalis keep most of the sun out even as they let in the most trivial whiff of breeze.

The famous palace attractions of BIkaner lies in the main building that consists of the personal dwelling pads of several branches of the royal family, some of which are recently renovated while others still retain their past grandeur. Take for example the alcove where the Rajmata or Queen Mother resides, a section that has never being photographed because of the numerous shikar (hunting) trophies and old snapshots that embrace its walls. Walk over to the balcony to see the sprawling terraced lawns with blooming bougainvillea and peacocks dancing with tails fanned out, which make this palace a not-to-be missed visual retreat.

Nesting The Old Glory

Go through the Lalgarh palace museum in Rajasthan. The fort museum, located inside the Ganga Niwas, holds an unique omnibus of miniature paintings of Bikaner school, manuscripts, terracotta wares, armors, armaments and even a world war I bi-plane. The eye catching and soul soothing library of the Lalgarh palace is supposed to have the largest collection of original Sanskrit manuscripts on parchments, copper and gold or silver plaques. The exhibits are splendid masterpieces of Harappan civilization, Gupta and Kushan era, and sculptures of late classical time. A must see corner is the separate section displaying exclusive arts and crafts of the region. The museum is opened from 10 am to 4.30 pm and is closed on Fridays.

Cool Tips

For Lalgrah palace in Bikaner, you can choose between a good road ride or can relax in the metaled compartments of a broad gauge rail, because Bikaner has kept both its options open. Situated at 456 km from Delhi and 334 km from Jaipur, the city also offers paying guest accommodation facilities in reasonable prices at the Tourist Center, RTDC. Unmetered taxis, auto-rickshaws and tangas (horse drawn carriages) meander all across the city and will be privileged to shift you from one corner to another, in the city. Summers are hot, so get yourself light tropical clothes and manage to enter the palace at the time of opening to avoid an exposure to a sizzling hot weather.